Scoobs in Space
by Kaylorin
Summary: Vampires and Aliens and Spaceships, Oh My! This is my attampt at a BtVS and ST:TNG cross over. God Help Us All!
1. Just a Little Spell

This is kinda an experiment. Updates will be erratic and not as often as my other stories, but I am determined to write this, so it will be completed.  
  
Takes Place after 'Forever', before 'Intervention'. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Just a little Spell  
  
They'd been taking turns. Sitting with the Summers girls. Giles came often during the day, Xander after work. Tara and Willow visited between and after classes. Anya when she felt the motivation. But with all of her friends around her, Buffy felt suffocated.  
  
Tonight was no different. Giles and Anya were still at the magic shop, but both had plans to come by after closing. Willow and Tara roamed in just after 4:00, and Xander came toting collectible books and props from one of his favorite sci-fi shows to entertain Dawn with after the site crew was done for the day.  
  
Dawn, still unsure of her position as 'The Key' was often too scared to join the others for the frequent visits, although she made a point of needing a glass of water when Xander came by. Then she could at least walk through the family room and see what he was wearing. With Spike not around so much lately, her crush had reverted to its roots. Mainly Buffy's best male friend.  
  
Which is why when he suggested they both watch the marathon on television, she happily accepted. Everyone was too glad to see her out of her room to question why she suddenly was interested in science fiction.  
  
Willow and Tara sat with the closet trekker while he showed of his collection of books filled with specifics of the cult television show and his ability to call upon each fact from memory. A tri-corder, and phaser along with a few magazines were also displayed.  
  
All three ladies listened as he explained the greatness of Star Trek, especially The Next Generation. Dawn listened because it was Xander talking, Tara and Willow because it seemed to be cheering up the youngest Summers. They were soon making plans for the evening. Meals and Glory defense planning were top on the list.  
  
But Buffy felt alone. Even surrounded by people who cared about her. Loved her, even. She knew that no one could understand. Her pain was not just from the loss of her mother, but of the last 5 years. The death of her mother only rekindled the fear and pain of finding one's destiny to be drawn out and mapped without approval.  
  
So here she sat, on the back porch, scared of reality. Not of the midnight monsters, but of the daylight's truth. Adulthood smacked into her face before she had time to prepare, and without a moment to mourn.  
  
There was no harsher truth. Even her calling had been easier to take alone then all of the emotions and stressful thoughts that plagued her now.  
  
So deeply imbedded in her own pain, she didn't hear the back door open, then shut quietly. Her first indication that she was not alone was when Willow's feet stepped down one, then two steps and stopped.  
  
Buffy looked at the Wicca. "Hey Wills."  
  
"Hey." She said solemnly, sat down and looked up following her friend's gaze. "Counting stars?"  
  
"What?" Buffy blinked and looked back at the red head confused. She'd forgotten she was even outside. "Oh. No. Just. I don't know. Thinking."  
  
Willow pursed her thin lips and gave her friend a sympathetic smile as she wrapped one arm around her friend's shoulders. "Tara and I were going to get a few things to bring back and work on. Maybe get some dinner too. You want?"  
  
Buffy shook her head. "No thanks. I'm not real hungry right now."  
  
But Willow knew Buffy had to be hungry. No one had seen her eat all day. "I'll get something for you anyway. If you get hungry, you can always nuke it."  
  
"Sounds fine." Buffy said with almost no emotion at all.  
  
Willow looked again at her friend's deflated features, before giving her a comforting embrace. Buffy leaned into the hug, then pulled back not wanting to break into tears again.  
  
The red head let her friend go, stood and walked to the door.  
  
"Willow?" Buffy's voice broke Wollow's heart when it reached her ears.  
  
"Yeah, Buff?"  
  
The blonde looked past Willow to the house she was now responsible for. "Nothing I guess. Just. thanks."  
  
The worried witch smiled gently back, then opened the door and left her friend to sit alone in silence.  
  
Once inside, Willow looked out the small window in the door, and watched as Buffy's shoulders began to shake.  
  
"How is she?" Willow turned around to see Tara. She had her oversized purse hanging from one shoulder, ready to run the errands.  
  
"Sad."  
  
The blonde gave her a slight smile. "She will be you know? For awhile."  
  
Willow walked with her lover back into the living room where Xander sat watching a Star Trek marathon with Dawn. "I know. I just hate to see it." Willow said and listened to Dawn ask the one hundredth question about the overrated sci-fi show.  
  
"So then isn't hyperspace better than warp. I mean. Han Solo could get from one weird planet to the other in seconds, but these guys," She waved her hand at the television screen, now showing a serious Jean Luc Picard staring down a guy with pointy ears. According to Xander he wasn't a Vulcan. He was a Romulan.  
  
"Sure, if you just want to get there. But they want to be able to stop, have a look around. Do the whole 'meet and greet'. You can't do that in hyperspace. Once the course is set, there's no stopping for burgers at Tau Alpha C."  
  
"Ohhhh." Dawn nodded a little too big. "I get it."  
  
"Speaking of burgers-" Willow interrupted.  
  
"Pizza." Dawn immediately said.  
  
"Or not." Willow's brows pushed together. "I thought you said burgers earlier?"  
  
Dawn looked over at Xander. "Yeah, but Xander wants pizza, and he is our guest."  
  
Xander looked innocently over his shoulder at the two ladies. "I'd like pepperoni."  
  
"Me too!" Dawn quickly agreed.  
  
"Pepperoni it is." Willow nodded before she and Tara walked out into the early night.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Bugger." Spike stood in front of the open fridge and tossed the empty blood container across the crypt. Not caring where, or even if it landed.  
  
The last week had been miserable. Was still miserable. He hated waking up mid afternoon with nothing but cold pig's blood to look forward to. It was getting downright depressing, the thoughts that were going through his head not helping.  
  
His mind retraced the events of the last few weeks, dragging him back to the pain and humiliation of his sorry existence.  
  
In truth, he couldn't say it all started just a few weeks ago. It was longer. He'd gone and ruined his entire world by becoming obsessed with her, the slayer. Not just falling for her, although that was one of his more aggravating obstacles of late. No, he'd have to be honest and say just trying to kill the slayer had been the start of it all. Not killing her had itched at his pride and stubbornness enough to make him continue the quest.  
  
What he got out of it in the end was a chip, and right confusing ideas about the enemy he'd sworn to drain.  
  
Matters only got worse once he started fighting alongside her. The few times he had, had changed his status from Master, to traitor. Word traveled fast in the demon world, especially when you were in the hub of demon communities. Directly over the hellmouth.  
  
When it all came down to it, all he had was the slayer and her friends for company. That and Harmony, who quite frankly made a balloon seem intellectual.  
  
Thinking of what few beings he had as company only reminded him of the loss of Joyce. Of any of the tiny circle of people who'd talk to him, he liked her best. And now she was gone. Watching over her and the Bit for Buffy had been one of the few times he knew, absolutely knew, he was doing something Buffy would see as good. Even if the afternoon had been filled with rantings from the younger Summers.  
  
Now though, he didn't even have The Bit's affection. He'd screwed everything up by telling Buffy how he felt.  
  
Ok, he'd screwed it up by chaining her up to do so, although he had a very good reason for the chains. She wouldn't listen otherwise.  
  
"Bloody idiot!" He growled at himself. She may be a slayer, could handle the pain of chains, but she was human. And in general, chaining up a human female to profess one's love was not the best route. And now he couldn't even enter her house.  
  
He spun on the empty refrigerator and slammed the door shut. "Well how was I to know?" He screamed at the closed door. "Not like I've had many dealing with loving humans." And he hated to admit, what little he did have in the way of experience, was not good.  
  
He walked across the floor to his duster lying on the sarcophagus. Then dug a cigarette from the pocket of it, and lit it with the silver lighter he carried on him at all times. He took a long drag and exhaled while studying the burning ember at its tip. "Exactly how does one woo a Slayer?" He said to the burning tobacco. "Invite her to a moonlit dusting?"  
  
He clutched the butt end tightly between his forefinger and thumb. "Probably how she and the poof spent their time." Halted by the thought, he grabbed his duster and slid it on while walking to the exit. Regardless of how he may have wrecked any chance with the slayer, he had no intention of starving to death. Blood needed to be acquired.  
  
By the time he reached the back door to Willy's the evening was in full swing. Demons walked by him paying him little to no notice. Without Buffy and her gang at his side he was just a poor excuse for a demon. With them he was a traitor. Either way, being ignored was preferable to getting the tar beaten out of him So in he strode.  
  
"'Eh, Willy." He called back to the owner. "Some service."  
  
The small man walked behind the bar. "Spike! Didn't think I'd be seeing you around here for a good long while."  
  
Spike cocked his head. "Now why would I avoid you lot. Great place to converse with old mates. Bring a date and whatnot."  
  
"Yeah. Yeah. What do you want Spike?" Willy picked up a cloth absent mindedly, and wiped off the bar in front of Spike.  
  
"Need some blood. A pos. if you have it." He pulled out a small roll of bills, which the barkeep eyed warily.  
  
Willy looked back at the vampire's face. "Just be a minute." And he disappeared through the door leading to his stores of liquids not advertised on the menu.  
  
Spike smirked. At least the almighty dollar he carried had some power even if he did not.  
  
He stayed in his seat, facing the lines of bottles just begging to be drunk from. Although drinking himself into a stupor had its appeal, he wanted to have his faculties together, and figure out a plan to earn back some of the friendship he'd had with Buffy.  
  
Even that thought plagued him. She'd never been his friend. Called on him when she needed him Yeah.  
  
Let him back her up when fighting. Sure, if necessary.  
  
Cried in front of him. Well once.  
  
These were things that made a friend, but he knew, knew as well as he knew he was dead, knew he couldn't even begin to call her a friend. Not while she still only saw the monster he was, and not the person he was trying to be.  
  
"You awake man?"  
  
Spike was brought back from his wondering thoughts to the human standing in front of him. "'Course I'm awake!" He tossed some cash at Willy, and stormed off through the back entrance.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Tara tried to keep hold of the large cardboard box and the brown bag in her hands. Willow was burdened as well with one pizza box balancing precariously on top of another large box, a bag in her hand as well.  
  
"Do you think this stuff will help?" Tara asked as they walked along-side the walk paved parallel to the Avenue they followed.  
  
Willow tried to see where she was going, but nearly tripped on a curb as they crossed the street. "I think so. The spell on Glory was ok, except for the headache. If we could find something to boost it, we might have better control over where we send her, and also avoid the nose bleeds and migraines."  
  
"But we won't try it. Not if it's going to hurt you again." Tara said, more as a decision than a request. She'd expressed under no uncertain terms that she didn't want Willow to do any more transportation spells, but had to admit it was the only thing that had slowed the hell-goddess down so far.  
  
"No-o. One time was plenty for me, thank you." Willow said, just before she screeched and fell face first.  
  
The box of pizza skidded down the sidewalk face up and the larger box fell on its side. The only thing she had managed not to drop was the bag in her hand.  
  
Tara stopped and set her things on the ground. "Willow, are you ok?" She crouched down and helped the red head to stand back up.  
  
"Oh, I'm fine. But I'm afraid the pizza may not have survived." She stood up carefully, doing a mental check that all her body parts were still connected and working properly. Her pale hands went to work brushing off the dirt she'd gotten on her blouse.  
  
Tara fetched the flat pizza box and looked inside. "Strangely enough, it looks ok." She closed it again and carried it to her girl friend. "But I don't think we can get all this stuff back to Buffy's without breaking something."  
  
Willow had to agree. "I don't want to just leave this all here though, and we're too far from campus make two trips."  
  
From ahead they heard someone clear their throat, and looked up to see a familiar vampire.  
  
Tara's face softened when she saw him standing there with a cigarette hanging from his lips and a small brown bag clutched in his left hand. "H- hi Spike."  
  
He gave her a short nod and took his cigarette from his lips. "You birds in need of some help?"  
  
The two girls looked at each other, and shrugged. He couldn't hurt them, and even if he walked all the way back to Buffy's he still couldn't get in. Not with a brand spanking new invite. "Well, we were taking these over to-"  
  
"The Slayer. I know. And no, I don't want an invite. This stuffs for fighting the hell-bitch. Right?" He motioned with his hand at the boxes and bags, now lined up on the sidewalk.  
  
"Have you been.. following us?" Willow said, now a little concerned.  
  
"Might 'ave. But you passed me a few blocks back. Noticed the precarious state those parcels were in. Thought you may be in need of a big strong evil vampire." He tossed his cigarette to the ground and mashed it with the sole of his boot. "Grr." He said flatly. "I'm evil. Need some 'elp or not?"  
  
The girls tried not to smile, but couldn't help it. They knew they needed a hand, and with little else to choose from, decided the vampire was their best solution.  
  
Together they carried the boxes, while Spike was entrusted with the sacred pizza and the bags full of what smelled to him as herbs and roots.  
  
He followed them silently, hoping to catch whatever information he could on Buffy, or any plans they'd come up with to destroy Glory.  
  
He hadn't been able to pick up much around town due to his status as former Big Bad. What little he had heard was already known by The Scoobies.  
  
"Well," Willow continued their earlier conversation. "If I can focus the energy in a particular direction, I may be able to transport her to another dimension. One with no key to get out."  
  
"But Honey, that's extremely powerful energy. Not always focus-able either." Tara countered. "And how will you know what dimension you'll send her to?"  
  
"Ok, so there are kinks. Maybe if we could somehow create a dimension. One made just to hold her." Willow let her sentence run off.  
  
"That's mighty powerful forces you're talkin' about there Red." Spike said quietly.  
  
He hadn't said it quiet enough not to be heard though.  
  
"I know it is, but if it comes down to Glory using Dawn, or me getting the migraine from hell, I'll go with migraine." She said resolutely.  
  
Spike nodded, understanding and said no more as he continued trailing the witch's steps.  
  
Tara however couldn't stop worrying. "I don't like it Willow. You could hurt yourself with allot more than a nose bleed and a headache."  
  
Willow knew why Tara worried. It was a dangerous spell, and would be much more so if she added the additional strain of building a new dimension. "Well, I'll look into it, but we won't try it unless we're desperate, or we know it's not gonna kill me. Ok?" She looked over at her lover with pleading eyes.  
  
The more experience Wicca tried to find a way to tell her lover it would never be safe, but instead she forced a small smile and nodded, then looked ahead to shield Willow from the fear easily seen in her eyes. She hated when Willow did this, not from jealousy of her power, but because of love. Tara didn't want her to get hurt, especially from magics. The outcome was too unpredictable.  
  
Before long, they were standing in front of Buffy's home. Spike walked up the front steps and set the packages on the stoop while Willow opened the door.  
  
Tara gave him another quiet smile. "Thanks Spike. F-for helping, I mean."  
  
"Did someone say Spike!?!" Dawn yelped from inside the house. In mere seconds she was at the door. The teen pushed her hair back behind her ears. "Hi Spike. What are you doing here?"  
  
"That's a real good question." Xander walked up behind Dawn and eyed the spurned vamp. "Cuz last I heard, you weren't invited."  
  
Willow walked past Spike and placed a hand on Xander's arm. "He was helping us." She demonstrated her point by turning and picking up one of the oversized, over filled cardboard boxes.  
  
Xander looked from the box to the vampire. "Oh, well you're still not invited." He said firmly and walked away with a box.  
  
Dawn rolled her eyes, and Tara brought in the pizza along with one of the bags.  
  
"Didn't expect to be. Just saw them tryin to carry more 'an they could, and thought I'd lend a hand. S'for fightin off Glory. And even without the invite, I don't want that bint to get hold of Dawn any more 'an the rest of you!" He spun on his heel and started down the walk, realizing his words had only reached the back of their target's head.  
  
Xander walked the package into the kitchen, never turning.  
  
"Wait! Spike!" Dawn called. Then turned on Xander. "What is terrible huh? He loves Buffy and doesn't want me to die, and you just keep running him off!!" Her crush was overcome and directed back to 'hot' vampires.  
  
Spike had stopped to see what Xander's answer was as the brunette walked back in to the living room. He still avoided eye contact with the peroxide blonde.  
  
Spike didn't have a chance to see Xander's reaction. Instead the vampire found himself tackled to the ground.  
  
Caught off guard, he now laid flat on his back with a stake pressed against his chest. "Owww. Bloody Slayer. Get off!" He tried to push her away, hoping she wouldn't notice that the position she was in was causing areas of his body to stir, that he was sure would get him very good and staked.  
  
"Not real likely. I knew you were sick, but going after Dawn." She'd still been on the back porch when Dawn's screams brought her back to earth. The Slayer quickly ran around to the front of the house and went for the person who's name her sister had screamed.  
  
Spike pulled his head back into the ground and looked at her with one eyebrow cocked. "Jealous are we?"  
  
"What? No!" She shook her head. "I heard Dawn screaming at you. What were you doing?" She still held the wood against his chest.  
  
"I was trying to leave, but you girls seem to be intent on keeping me around." He smirked.  
  
Willow walked out to where the two were, still in a compromising position. "Buffy, he was just trying to help Tara and me carry some stuff. We had it till we got the pizza, then we sort of looked like we were going to fall over. One too many things."  
  
"Well, to be honest, you did fall over, Red." Spike added, hoping that it may sway the slayer to let him live.  
  
"Then Xander got all mad," Dawn said coming out to the yard as well. "So Spike was going to leave, but I." Dawn wasn't sure what she was going to use as an explanation.  
  
"Fine." Buffy gave up and stood, relieved that Spike was avoiding comments about the 'stake' he was apparently hiding in his pocket.  
  
The elder Summers took another quick glance at Spike, still on the ground, then back at her sister. "You're ok?"  
  
"Yeah. I'm fine." Dawn said happily. "So can Spike come in?"  
  
"No!" Buffy and Xander both yelled at the same time.  
  
"Already told you, don't want an invite." Spike sat up on the grass and pulled out his pack of cigarettes, now bent from Buffy's attack. "Could use some decent smokes though." He tossed the pack on the grass behind him and stood up.  
  
"Well then, you go get some, and we'll go back inside." Buffy walked to the front door not giving him a backwards glance.  
  
Willow watched Spike watch Buffy leave. Dawn smiled at him, then followed her big sister who stood on the porch waiting.  
  
Willow turned to go in as well.  
  
"Oh, Red. 'Bout that spell. You might want to try Dorson's Theories of Interdimensional Travel, mix in a bit of Quinn's Study of Creations, and you may get a viable spell."  
  
Willow turned around. "You've read Quinn?"  
  
He shrugged. "A bit. Mostly drivel, but some was. interesting."  
  
Willow turned around and saw Buffy and Tara still standing at the door waiting and pleaded with Spike. "Hold on." She said and ran to the waiting women.  
  
So Spike stayed put, and waited. He kept his smirk in check.  
  
Buffy watched as Willow ran up to her and came to a dead stop. "Buffy. I think Spike might be able to help."  
  
"I doubt that."  
  
"No. I'm serious." She turned to Tara. "He's read Quinn before. And suggested Dorson."  
  
"Really?" The dark blonde questioned.  
  
"Yeah. Look, Buffy, I know you're freaked about him. And I totally understand why, but he might be able to help."  
  
Buffy looked over her friend's shoulder at the still figure standing in front of her house and began to shake her head. "Wills, I'm not going to inv-"  
  
"Buffy," Willow furrowed her brow. "It's the best way we've come up with to get rid of Glory." She looked back at Spike, then to her best friend. "It's the only way we have to save Dawn."  
  
Buffy sighed and looked up towards the porch's ceiling blocking her view of the stars. She seriously did not want to have to deal with Spike. Not with everything else. There was just too much. Her mom's death, Glory coming after Dawn, Dawn herself, and just reality.  
  
But he might have a way to stop Glory, or at least a way to help Willow and Tara stop Glory. "I'm going to regret this. I just know it." Buffy said and went into her house.  
  
"What?" Xander shadowed her steps. "You can't be serious."  
  
"Xander, we don't know how much time we have until Glory comes." She said in a whispered voice. "And when it comes down to it," She sighed again. "He'd protect Dawn as much as I would."  
  
Xander shook his head and sat back down in front of the television trying to become entranced. He couldn't argue, but he didn't have to completely agree either.  
  
Dawn, who'd sat in front of the television after re-entering the house, looked back at the door just as Spike came up the steps with Willow.  
  
"Come on in Spike." Buffy said, not very eagerly.  
  
The brunette teen suppressed her squeal of delight and turned back to the TV, now filled with stars and the Enterprise going into warp.  
  
Spike just gave Buffy a nod and followed Willow and Tara back to the kitchen.  
  
Buffy plopped onto the couch and watched along with Xander and her little sister as the crew of the Enterprise spoke of scans and tractor beams.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Anya walked out of the basement with her clipboard in hand. "You need to order Burba Weed. We're out."  
  
Giles, who stood across the room in front of a row of shelves also holding a clipboard, turned around. "Already? We just had a shipment two weeks ago." He looked over his clipboard and checked his notations. "Yes. There should be at least 5 containers full. Are you sure it's gone?"  
  
Anya set her pen and list down on the counter. "I told you it was." She quickly changed the set of papers on her clipboard. "I don't know why you insist I stay for inventory if you don't believe what I tell you." She quipped and set out for the basement again.  
  
"Because," He flipped a page. "I'm paying you overtime."  
  
Anya's smile perked up again before she stepped downward. "Oh yes. There is that." And she disappeared past the door.  
  
Rupert shook his head and turned back to the selection of books he had. "Hmm. Someone purchased Dorson." He noted the missing book and his intention of ordering another copy.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"No. It's in the wording. And you may need a bit more Torkus root." Spike explained.  
  
Tara added the root. "How do you know about this. I mean, dimensional stuff?"  
  
"Oh, well Dru had this idea about 40 years or so ago. Something about sending all the flower people to dimensions filled with colors. It was an odd plan to say the least, but we had minions workin' on it anyway."  
  
"And you what. picked it up?" Willow asked as she wrote down a few new words on the pad of paper.  
  
"Na. Can't do the spell any better than the whelp out there could. Just watched over them, made sure they were followin orders. Pitched in a bit to make just the right type of dimension." He turned a page in the worn text in front of him. "Here." He pointed out a paragraph. "This is where we got stuck."  
  
Willow walked around the island. "Oh, a life force." She looked at him. "I guess that would be a problem."  
  
"What?" Tara asked once she'd mixed the root in well.  
  
"Well, to make a dimension, you need a representations of it." He explained. "A picture, or drawing is one. An object or trait that would be common there, and a life force who had the images of the place in their mind, held and retained by the interests of their life force. Or Soul."  
  
Tara squinted, then her eyes got big. "Ohhh. No Soul, so no spell."  
  
"S'bout the long an short of it." He turned the page. "But looks like we have everything here. As long as you have the time it takes to prepare, and are safely out of harms way, you should be able to create the dimension and send her high bitchiness wherever you want. Just remember to be sure she is at the center of the triangle made by the three elements of the spell, otherwise it won't work."  
  
"Got it." The red head picked up the bowl of the premixed ingredients and walked out with Tara and one peroxide blonde vampire coming out after her. "We think we have something."  
  
Buffy sat up on the couch. "Yeah?"  
  
Willow and Tara sat down on the floor, while Spike remained standing behind them looking on, just happy to be among them. "I think so." Tara said.  
  
Buffy got up then sat next to Willow on the floor and peered into the ceramic bowl. "Well it sure smells like a spell." She crinkled her nose at the mixture. "What is it supposed to do?"  
  
Willow unfolded the paper and set it next to the bowl. "Well once we get elements we want in our little universe, all we have to do is read this." She pointed to the paper, "And Glory goes poof."  
  
Xander turned around. "Where are you sending her Wills?"  
  
"That we don't know yet. But it can be anyplace we want."  
  
"I vote tar pit." Dawn said and sat next to Buffy.  
  
Xander got up off the floor then sat on the couch away from the stinking mixture and perused the books of Trek sitting on the floor next to the couch he'd brought for tonight. Looking up spells was fine, but his interest in them stopped once they were figured out.  
  
He knew he was a little bit geeky when it came to science fiction, but knowing in no way it could be real gave him a calmness no horror movie filled with vampires could. He'd even brought over a mock phaser that sat on the side table on the opposite end of the couch.  
  
At the very least, he thought he'd done well when Dawn had laughed at it earlier. He'd made one of the Summers girls smile. Something not seen lately.  
  
"Is it in Latin?" Dawn asked and picked up the paper.  
  
"No. It's in English, but the trick is in the other items to activate it. We need to be precise or it won't work." Willow explained to the interested teen. "We need to decide exactly what we want the realm we send her to be like."  
  
Tara got up. "I'll get the notepad, and we can b-brainstorm.." She went into the kitchen.  
  
Dawn held the paper high. "Then one of us just has to say," She began to read. "Banished to the realm we desire, filled with dreams of a soulful mire, elements drawn in from near, abandon this through a tare."  
  
Just as her last words were spoken Tara came through the door. "Dawnie! No!"  
  
Then time seemed to freeze as the next precious few seconds passed.  
  
Around Spike, Dawn, Buffy and Willow a triangle lined by shadows, formed. Each point taking an element of it's surrounding. One touched the television, the other reached to Xander's mind, caressing his forehead, the other point finding its destination at the mock phaser's position. When all three elements were understood and read by the casting, the shadows raised, hiding the people inside.  
  
The four forms engulfed in the magics could not move or speak, only watch as they were brought into darkness.  
  
When Tara could no longer see the others, she began to move and suddenly noticed the wind whipping around her head. Pictures were blown off the walls and the floor shook. "Willow!!!"  
  
Xander shot up from his seat when movement was again possible. He walked sideways careful to avoid the walls of absent light. "Buffy!! Dawn!!"  
  
The two saw each other and shared a fearful look before the wind came to a halt, and the shadows pulled back into the floor. The ground once again became steady, but their friends no longer sat on its surface.  
  
In the center now was an empty ceramic bowl and a piece of paper, apparently undisturbed.  
  
*************************************** ************************************** So.. this is it guys. My little x-over. Well not IT.. just the beginning, but hey.. 


	2. Injection of Reality

Injection of Reality  
  
"What the hell just happened?" Xander shook his hands at the floor. "Where did they go?"  
  
Tara looked from the empty bowl to the television still playing out a scene showing the bridge of the Enterprise. "Always unpredictable." She whispered under her breath and looked at Xander.  
  
"What is? Tara, where are they?" He walked over to her and tried to find the answer in her eyes.  
  
She leaned down and picked up the bowl and the paper lying beside it, then stood up slowly and looked back at her confused friend. "W-whatever you imagine the u-universe of Star Trek is like."  
  
A nervous smile took over the brunette's face. "Wha-What?" A light chuckle mixed with his words.  
  
His face fell when she didn't join in the laughter.  
  
She shook her head at the floor. "I t-told her. Tried to w-warn Willow, these magics were too powerful."  
  
Xander put his hands up as if to shield himself from her words. "Please tell me you're not saying what you're saying. Because we did not just send out friends to the inescapable dimension all made up for Glory."  
  
Tara shook her head more severely this time. "N-no. Actually, D-Dawn sent them to a dimension built from your knowledge of Star Trek." She glimpsed back at the television. She wondered just how much he did know about the show. "Which one is this again?"  
  
Xander, caught off guard looked at the screen "The Mind's Eye, season four. One of the more interesting ones because there is involvement between the Romulans and the Klingons. Generally considered enem-," He stopped himself. "Wait. What does this have to do with anything?"  
  
Tara looked around the room and noted the position of both the phaser replica and the stack of books on Trekkie facts. Right where Xander had been sitting. She looked up at him. "Exactly how much do you know about all this stuff?"  
  
"I dunno. A little. I mean, I don't actually own a Klingon costume, but I," He muffled the last few words with his hand., "gnoegingog."  
  
Tara reached up and pulled his arm down. "You what?"  
  
Xander began to redden. "I know Klingon.. alright?" He spun around and paced to the door then turned back. "I don't get why all this matters. Shouldn't we be figuring out how to .. oh I dunno, save our friends?"  
  
Tara looked back at him. For the first time since she'd entered the group, the shy witch was being asked to solve the problem. What would Willow do? "Well, first, I think we should call Mr. Giles. He'll want to know." She looked behind her and walked into the kitchen. "These are the books we used for the spell."  
  
Xander came through the door of the kitchen and picked up the phone only to have Tara walk past back to the living room.  
  
As he dialed, he watched Tara pick up the picture frames and tiny statues that had been knocked to the floor. "Not that Buffy won't appreciate you wanting to tidy up, but shouldn't the spell be top prio-Hey, Giles! I have some bad news."  
  
He watched Tara pick up a frame, then move a bit of glass before pulling out the stack of books filled with facts on characters, ships and the history of Star Trek.  
  
"Well, see there was a spell." He continued. "No. No one tried to bring back Joyce." There was another pause and Tara walked into the kitchen and began going through the books. "No, Glory wasn't involved. That's. sort of the problem."  
  
Xander listened a moment longer. "Ok, ok. Willow was trying to work out a spell with Tara and Spike-" Tara looked up when Xander became quiet.  
  
"I know. That's what I said. But they invited him in anyway, and apparently Dawn did the spell." Xander shook his head. "No. It was Dawn, and now they're all just. gone." Xander held the phone away from his ear as Giles voice echoed loudly in the small kitchen.  
  
Tara stared at the receiver with surprise. She hadn't really seen Giles very angry, and this was her first introduction to 'Ripper' in any shape or form.  
  
"Buffy, Willow, Dawn and Spike. They all just. well, vanished." Xander explained again.  
  
Xander nodded. "Alright." And he hung up.  
  
"He's on his way." The worried brunette joined the witch and picked up one of the books. "So what are we looking for?"  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
The thick fog of deep slumber slowly pulled away. Her limbs still felt heavy, and her body seemed to fight her each time she tried to rouse, but soon her stubbornness won over exhaustion and Buffy opened her lids only to see stars. "What the?" She blinked a few times and soon saw it was a domed ceiling that had a skylight at its center. Still unfamiliar, but solid.  
  
She pushed herself up onto her elbows to see where she was, and what had happened. All of the sudden she knew, something was very wrong. All around her was a brightly lit room, larger than any in her house and much rounder. The walls were a cream color and beside her, a large screen took up most of what she assumed was the front of the room. A red flashing on a black panel in the far side of the area caught her eyes. Then the sound seemed to catch up. "Intruder Alert."  
  
"What?" The images and faces around seemed somewhat familiar, but at the moment, she couldn't figure out why. "Where am I?" She shot up onto her feet, ignoring her still sleeping limbs when one of the figures came closer to her. He pointed some kind of weapon towards her.  
  
He was a dark hulking creature wearing a gold and black uniform, ridged like a vampire but more so and she noticed, a bit smelly like a minion. He was saying something, yelling it seemed. The only problem was. she didn't understand a word.  
  
"Oh, bleedin' hell!" Buffy turned and looked at the ground behind her. Her sister and Willow were still lying on the floor, but the vampire that seemed to plague her life, was awake and moving.  
  
Spike sat up with one hand on his temple and the other he used to brace himself as he sat upright. His grumbling stopped when he scanned his surroundings. "Well this is different." He said sarcastically.  
  
Buffy looked back at her captors, and raised her fists, now in fighting stance.  
  
She studied the ones who seemed to be the leaders here The balding man wearing a red and black uniform, the red headed woman wearing blue and black, the same uniform, but with what looked like blue lab-coat as well walked towards her.  
  
Others sat behind odd looking desks a few feet from her, and still more people stood behind the central area separated by a railing beside the ramp that led up to what looked like more posts. They seemed to be using the black panels that blinked on the back wall, taping on them sporadically.  
  
The large vampiric looking man, still pointed something at her, and stepped forward then spoke again, but Buffy still didn't catch any of his words. She noted he was not attacking, but still kept her eye on his movements.  
  
"What?" She finally managed to ask.  
  
Then the bald man took a few tentative steps forward and spoke. "Identifiez- vous."  
  
Buffy gave him a skeptical look. "Well that was French, but it's been awhile, and I wasn't that good before." She'd barely finished her sentence when all of the sudden a familiar voice sounded off unexpectedly.  
  
"Mon nom est William. C'est Buffy et c'est sa petite soeur et son ami." Spike seemed to let the words roll of his tongue as he identified himself along with the ladies.  
  
The balding man looked at the ground behind her. There lay Willow and Dawn still unconscious.  
  
Seeing that the man showed interest, Buffy leaned down to make sure they were alright. "They're both breathing, just knocked out." Buffy looked back at the uniformed people again, then to her sister. She gently pushed a stray hair from her sleeping sister's face then addressed Spike. "Ask them where we are."  
  
"Qui êtes-vous ? Comment avez-vous obtenu ici ?" The bald man spoke to Spike again.  
  
"Fraid I'm getting a lot of questions here. Haven't got answer to a one of them, 'cept who we are."  
  
The red headed woman standing beside the man in the red uniform had followed all points of the conversation, when something struck her. "Excuse me, Buffy was it?"  
  
Buffy nodded, happy that at least one person spoke plain English.  
  
"So you do understand me?" The red head asked.  
  
"Well, yeah." She shrugged. "I'm sorry, are we in some automatic translation dimension, cuz that's a new one." She spun on Spike, " and since when do you speak French?"  
  
He shrugged. "About 1874. Wasn't really fluent until about 1882 though." He waggled an eyebrow at her. "Impressed many a female once upon a time."  
  
"Did you say 1882?" The red head questioned.  
  
"I do believe he did, Doctor." The bald man said in English.  
  
Buffy glared at Spike, then the bald man. "Well why didn't you just speak English from the beginning?"  
  
The woman in the lab-coat kept glancing at Buffy's sister and friend on the ground. "I'm a doctor." She explained to the blonde woman. "I'd like to make sure your friends are ok."  
  
Buffy lowered her fists and took a step back. Unsure of herself, but noting that no one, not even the large creature still pointing a small metallic box at her, had made any moves without speaking first. She decided to believe the gentle looking woman.  
  
The woman pulled an instrument from the pocket of her blue lab-coat and went to the fallen slayerettes. A beeping sound emanated from what looked like a plastic toy with blinking lights to Buffy. The red head studied her instrument then turned. "Captain, they are both suffering from extreme exhaustion. I'd like to take them to sickbay."  
  
"Captain?" Buffy scanned the man once again as she began to put the pieces together. Xander's Trekkie marathon, the props, the spell.  
  
She paled. "Oh God."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"I'm not seeing the word reversal anywhere, Tara." Xander turned the pages and skimmed them expertly. After years of research he had learned that looking for a key word was faster than reading each page. Of course, you may miss things every now and then, but when time was of the essence, fast was good.  
  
"I'm not sure there will be a reversal spell. I mean, the spell used isn't exactly in print. Not completely anyway."  
  
Xander slammed the book shut and stared at Tara in confusion. "What do you mean?"  
  
The blonde Wiccan pulled out the two books the spell had been contrived from and laid them out on the island. "See, Willow wanted to transport Glory, and create the dimension as she entered. The forces of the magic themselves would build a world that would change over time, drawing it's basic components from the three elements and the surrounding environment, but still a dimension that would grow over time. Hopefully without leaving any loopholes for escape."  
  
Xander shook his head. " I don't get it. Why can't you just reverse it, or end it?"  
  
"Because, it's not just one spell." Tara turned to two different sections in each book, and pushed one over to him. "See here, the basic elements of a dimension?"  
  
Xander read a little then nodded slowly.  
  
Tara placed the other book on top of the one in front of him, "And this one covers transportation, but neither covers both at the same time so-"  
  
"So you made a magic milkshake and now they're inside the blender?"  
  
Tara creased her brow. "I-I guess."  
  
"Hello?" They looked up when Giles voice called from the front door.  
  
"Just walk in." They heard Anya explain impatiently.  
  
Giles came in the kitchen with Anya close behind. Rupert looked over the room and took note of the tomes sitting out on the counter. The mixture of titles caught his attention immediately. "Oh dear."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
The Doctor stood up and tapped the triangular piece of jewelry clipped to her uniform. "This is Dr. Crusher. I need direct transport to sickbay" She scanned the faces of the blonde man and woman standing on either side of her patients. "Five to transport."  
  
Buffy was just beginning to guess where she was when the word transport hit her ears and her memory kicked into full gear. Fearfully she asked, "Transport?"  
  
Before the word had time to echo she felt an odd tingle very different from her slayer senses, touch every point of her skin as she watched the bridge seem to shift into a sparkly blue, then rearrange itself into a completely different room.  
  
When the blue faded, she found herself standing next to a row of beds against a wall. She spun and watched two men pick up Dawn, then Willow and lay them out on two of the beds. Similar black panels over their heads began to light up and move along lines that, she assumed, told the doctor what was going on with their bodies.  
  
"I've had some bleedin weird experiences since I started mixing it up with you lot, but what the hell is going on? The French I can handle, but how'd we manage to get ourselves 'ere?"  
  
Buffy didn't answer as the two men dressed in blue stood over Willow and Dawn taking readings. The Doctor began filling up something Buffy thought could be dangerous. She moved quickly to block the Doctors steps towards the people the slayer cared for. "What are you doing?"  
  
Doctor Crusher stopped for a moment and tried to read the strange girl who'd appeared out of nowhere onto their bridge. She held up the silver hypo spray. "This is a compound of nutrients and proteins. It will help them gain back their strength."  
  
Buffy was too confused. Was it safe? Was it poison? What would this place have? She stepped aside, hoping it was the right decision.  
  
The doctor walked past and administered the injections to both unconscious girls before turning to Buffy again. "It will be awhile before it takes effect. I'll need to examine both of you."  
  
Buffy raised an eyebrow and looked back at Spike who was studying the room with intensity. "What do you say Spike. Want the doc to check you out?"  
  
"What?" He asked, having missed most of the conversation.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
On the bridge, Picard turned to his chief of Security. "Mr. Worf, can you explain what just happened?"  
  
The Klingon stood at his post behind the captain and went through the recorded readings he'd received just before the four strangers appeared. "There was nothing to indicate transport, and no vessels were detected in the area, Sir."  
  
"Captain?" The pale yellow eyed android turned in his seat at the OPPS position, one of the odd desks in front of the captain. "It seemed that they were just as confused with their appearance here as we."  
  
Picard nodded. "Yes, and they lack universal translators as well it seems."  
  
"A mystery?" Data asked raising an eyebrow.  
  
"An odd one at that." The Captain headed to the back of the bridge towards the turbo lift. "Mr. Data, you have the bridge. I'll be in sickbay."  
  
The android confirmed the statement with a nod and turned back to his post.  
  
Picard swept into the turbo-lift and let the doors close behind him as he requested his deck to the computer. He then tapped his comunicator. "Commander Riker, would you join me in sickbay?"  
  
A moment later the commander's voice sounded. "On my way."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Buffy smiled at the doctor, then turned around and yanked on Spikes duster sleeve, pulling him as far from the group of doctors and nurses as she could, while still keeping an eye on her sister and friend.  
  
"Hey! Lay off!" He yelled at her and yanked his arm back, freeing himself from her grip.  
  
She gave him her sweetest smile, and grabbed the back of his head, pulling his ear to her lips. "We are in Trekville, and right now that nice doctor wants to make sure we're all healthy." She paused.  
  
He pulled his head back enough to look at her. "You mean the whelp's fantasy life?"  
  
Buffy nodded slowly.  
  
"The spell." He said without having to ask again how.  
  
Buffy nodded again.  
  
Spike, now realized how close he was to her, and sneered. "Any other fine endearments you'd like to share while I'm here?" He gave her a half smile.  
  
She shoved him backward, causing his balance to falter for a moment. Vampire reflexes saved him from falling and he stared her down.  
  
"Look," She started, trying to keep her voice at a whisper. "Do you have any idea how to break the spell?"  
  
"Well, no. S'posed to be unbreakable. Sort of the point."  
  
She rolled her eyes. "Great."  
  
Spike shifted his feet and gazed over his shoulder at the medical personnel. "Don't much fancy bein poked an' prodded once she realizes I haven't a heart beat to speak of."  
  
Buffy nodded. "Just tell her you're a vampire. If they want proof, I'll stake you."  
  
With squinted eyes and a twisted smile he nodded once. "Very funny, Slayer."  
  
"Well what's your great idea?" She crossed her arms and waited.  
  
"Excuse me." The doctor called quietly as she walked towards the bickering couple.  
  
Spike cleared his throat and turned to face the woman. "Yeah, Doc.?"  
  
Beverly Crusher measured up the two as she walked towards them. "Is everything alright?"  
  
Both blondes looked at her as though she had grown an extra head.  
  
"Its bloody well not."  
  
Buffy glared at him before turning to the doctor. "It's just that. we aren't sure how we got here." She looked back at Spike. "And my. friend here has an odd. medical condition. We don't want you to freak."  
  
Dr. Crusher took a few tentative steps towards the man dressed in black. "Well, perhaps we can help." She again pulled out the plastic box and flipped it open letting the readings of the man register. Her eyes squinted when the readings came quickly.  
  
The man standing in front of her was dead.  
  
Her look of confusion would have been funny if it weren't for the situation.  
  
Spike watched her as she tried mentally to make sense of whatever she was seeing.  
  
With a few taps onto the small screen of the tri-corder, the doctor reset it and took readings from the girl standing at the dead man's side.  
  
"Well." She said to Buffy as she closed and pocketed the instrument calmly. "You seem fine, a few vitals are elevated, tension or stress can cause that. But it seems your friend is. is dead."  
  
Buffy nodded. "He's a pain in the ass too."  
  
"Now look 'ere. I'm not the one who cast the bleedin spell."  
  
"So not the point right now, Spike."  
  
"Spell?" The doctor tried to cut in.  
  
"Well if it weren't for the bit's need to get into everything."  
  
"You leave Dawn out of it. She just read the paper. How was she supposed to know it would work? Did you?"  
  
"I knew it would work. I didn't know it would work today, but I knew-"  
  
"You knew diddly." She cut him off. Too pissed to care.  
  
He cocked his head to the side. "Diddly?"  
  
It was worse than watching a ping pong match. The doctor's head turned back and forth as they squabbled. She tried to look calm, but every part of her mind was trying to register that the man in front of her, talking, standing, was for all intents and purposes. dead.  
  
*************************************** *****************************************  
  
My intention is to have this fit neatly between the eps without disturbing the BtVS story line. I hope. Argh! 


	3. Awake

****Thanks to Anon for pointing out a minor problem, mistake. boo boo I made. All fixed now.  
  
Awake  
  
The turbo-lift came to a halt and Picard was soon walking down the halls of the Enterprise headed for the sickbay manned by his Chief of Medical, Doctor Crusher. He passed several people, each giving him a quick nod of formal greeting as they passed.  
  
As he neared the doors leading inside the medical facilities that took care of the needs of over 1000 beings living on the Galaxy class starship, he saw his bearded Commander , wearing a red uniform as well, walk towards him.  
  
"Something interesting?" The Commander asked as he matched his commanding officer's pace and turned a corner.  
  
"Quite, Number One. We have some intriguing guests."  
  
Riker glanced at his captain. "Intriguing, Sir?"  
  
"Hmm." The captain nodded. "Four young people transported onboard the bridge a few moments ago. Apparently with no idea where they are, or means to communicate in any language, save English or French."  
  
"Really?"  
  
"Yes. And what's even more interesting, Mr. Worf assures me no transport was detected. Neither were any ships."  
  
The commander strode alongside his captain and listened to the short account.  
  
William T. Riker was taller and broader than the captain, and had yet to loose any of the brown hair that covered his head and face. He demanded respect by mere physical being. The balding man beside him demanded no less, but he commanded it, and wielded it with a talent that the Commander only hoped he could some day.  
  
"A cloaked ship. that can transport?" the Commander slowed as they approached the door into the doctor's domain.  
  
"It would explain the transport, but not our guests. They looked human."  
  
The door to sickbay slid open smoothly. They both stopped at the threshold when they saw two blondes arguing.  
  
"S'not like I knew the Bit could even do the spell." The male pointed towards the beds with extreme animation. On two lay the unconscious young ladies.  
  
The gentlemen walked tentatively to the Doctor. "Report?" Picard asked as he eyed the now still couple while they watched him.  
  
Beverly Crusher had not even seen the men enter. She was still trying to wrap her mind around what her instruments told her. She was however grateful that the arrival of the two men dressed in red caught the attention of the bickering blondes though, finally quieting them.  
  
Dr. Crusher looked at her commanding officer with trepidation, then led the two men back to the sleeping forms of two of their unexpected visitors. Buffy followed, leaving Spike mid-argument.  
  
"The younger one," Beverly began.  
  
"Dawn." Buffy quickly offered.  
  
The doctor gave her a gentle smile and a nod. "Dawn seems to have been less severely affected than."  
  
"Willow." Buffy supplied.  
  
"Affected by what?" The captain asked effectively ignoring Buffy.  
  
The doctor shook her head. "I can't find anything wrong with them. As far as I can tell, they are perfectly healthy human young ladies. The only oddity I found was that neither has a universal translator."  
  
"And our other guests?" Picard asked the doctor, taking note that the young woman who'd shown up unannounced seemed to be handling the situation a bit better now.  
  
Buffy, happy that English was being used, was able to follow the conversation.  
  
Dr. Crusher looked back at Buffy. "My guess would be no. From what I saw on the bridge, none of them have ever had a universal translator implanted. I've only been able to do a preliminary scan on them. which revealed something rather." Dr. Crusher watched Buffy look back at Spike who was busy looking around the room.  
  
The pale blonde picked up one of the medical tri-corders, opened it up, flipped it over, then put it back down.  
  
"Doctor?" The bearded commander asked.  
  
"The gentleman," The doctor began again, then looked towards the man eyeing the medical equipment. "William was it?" She called to him.  
  
Spike looked back. "'At's right." He walked to the group sizing up the newest face in the crowd. Too tall in his opinion. A bit like his grand- sire.  
  
"He seems to be." The doctor wavered.  
  
"I'm dead." Spike said plainly.  
  
The two men donned in red and black uniforms turned in unison with nearly matching furrowed brows.  
  
"Excuse me?" The commander said letting the confusion mar his face.  
  
"He's right." Beverly turned to the table beside Willow's bed and demonstrated with a new reading. The tri-corder was passed between captain and first officer before they took on looks of disbelief.  
  
Jean Luc stepped up to Spike and studied his outward appearance. "And you say you've been around since 1876?"  
  
"No. I took up French in 1876." He corrected  
  
Buffy had already crossed her arms and waited for Spike to explain his little medical condition. She'd hoped for a winding tale of some sort.  
  
"And could you explain how that's possible?" Riker said, not believing a word the blond had to say.  
  
Spike shrugged. "I'm a Vampire."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"And you're sure it was Dawn?" Giles said as he leaned over the counter. His glasses long forgotten, now laying beside an open book.  
  
"Y-yes." Tara nodded. "I saw her reading it."  
  
"But she told her to stop." Xander came to Tara's defense.  
  
Anya sat on a stool, a little bored.  
  
"I didn't know it would work, but I know enough not to just read spells at random." Tara explained.  
  
"Otherwise books start catching on fire. Especially if it's Latin." Xander remembered his own accidental spell casting.  
  
Giles looked over the supplies still strewn around the kitchen. "And you say Spike helped you put this together?"  
  
Tara nodded slowly. "He said that Drusilla wanted to do something similar, and he had most of the information."  
  
"It's alright." Rupert saw the girl felt at fault. He was fairly sure the entire thing was an accident, and so no reason to add the young witch's guilt to the situation. "Right now we need to concentrate on a reversal spell. You still have the original you three came up with. What we'll need to do is go over it step by step, and break each individual point of its construction."  
  
Anya sighed, knowing this would be in no way, a short meeting of the minds.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Buffy rolled her eyes. Of course he would just blurt it out. Why not?  
  
"Excuse me?" The captain looked between the blondes and back to his Chief of Medical. He had seen some very interesting things during his life while a part of Starfleet. Some with little explanation, some wound through tradition and rumor. Other just aliens not known before. A vampire was never one of the creatures he'd hoped to encounter.  
  
"A vampire?" The bearded commander echoed looking down at the dead man standing before him.  
  
Spike stood straighter. "S'right."  
  
All three of the uniformed adults stared at him.  
  
Buffy looked back at Spike smiling. "Think its about time I prove that?"  
  
Spike curled his lip at her. As much as he loved her, she was grating on his nerves. "Have it covered Slayer." And with little else to say he let his demon visage overtake his human features.  
  
The fearful reaction he was hoping for, and quite frankly enjoyed, was completely absent from the three strangers' faces. Instead, the doctor reset her tri-corder again and took more readings. She studied it and took a step towards him. "Your cranium has shifted, and I note a large number of changes orally. There is also a jump in pituitary output along with the flow of adrenaline."  
  
Spike listened and nodded at the doctor's words. "Orally I knew." He smiled showing his enlarged canines.  
  
"Well that's strange." The doctor continued. "The readings I took from Buffy showed elevated levels of adrenaline as well. They are almost identical to yours now."  
  
"Looks like we have something in common, luv." Spike leered at the blonde standing beside him.  
  
Buffy shifted her feet. "Well we both had hair before too. That doesn't mean we have the same hair color, or style, or. or, or anything."  
  
"Interesting." Picard said while looking over the blonde male. "Of course I've read books of vampires, but I always assumed it was myth." He looked back at the man's face. "I don't recall brow ridges being a part of the mythology." He said questioningly  
  
"S'usually left out." Spike said simply.  
  
Riker eyed the doctor's tri-corder, still open in her hand. "And they are all human?"  
  
Dr. Crusher nodded. "As far as I can tell, physically they all are. The only detected difference was William's status."  
  
The two officers in red seemed to only take note of the situation, and move on. Almost as though finding out that there was a vampire in their midst, or vampires at all, was of no more consequence then finding out that the man had a cold.  
  
Riker walked over to the young red head's bed. "How long until they wake up?"  
  
Beverly Crusher turned from the enigma that had the scientist in her thinking of experiments, ones she hoped the vampire would agree to, and walked up to Dawn's bed. "It's difficult to say. They should be waking soon but Willow seems to have suffered more extensively."  
  
Just then the young brunette laid out on the table groaned and turned her head. Buffy sprinted to her side and took one of her sister's hands in hers. "Dawn?"  
  
The youngest Summers brought her free hand to her head and opened her eyes, blinking several times to let her eyes adjust to the light of the sickbay. She knew she was in a hospital of some sort. That much was clear, but why. "What happened?" She groaned out.  
  
"It's ok. It'll be ok Dawn." Buffy assured her then looked up at the doctor. "She is ok, right?"  
  
Beverly tapped comfortably onto the black panel above dawn's head, then smiled. "She'll be fine. All of her vitals are normal now."  
  
Dawn turned her head to the voice and saw the woman smile down at her. She recognized the face of Doctor Beverly Crusher immediately. She leapt up off the bed and took a few steps backwards until her steps were impeded by another presence behind her. She turned around to see a tall bearded man. A loud short squeal came from her open mouth and echoed through the sickbay.  
  
"Wha-what's going on?" She turned around to see the captain of a fictional ship, on a fictional show that Xander had introduced her to. She spun again to see Spike, then Buffy. "What happened? Where are we?"  
  
"Seems pretty obvious." Spike said with a sneer. He couldn't help it. The entire situation was laughable.  
  
"Dawn." The captain approached her with his hands held up to show he was hiding nothing. "We don't want to harm you."  
  
"Don't want to.?" She saw Willow lying on the bed next to the one she'd been on and turned again to Buffy with anger and fear. "Ok, what is going on?"  
  
Buffy ran up to her sister and held her tightly. "I'm not sure Dawn. Don't worry, we'll get out of this."  
  
Dawn took in her surroundings. Everything was neat and orderly. Just like the show. The doctor, the captain and the commander looked exactly like they had on television. She even recognized one of the orderlies. It struck her how this was so much like the television show. But she'd been in her own home just a little while ago. They were working on a spell. She remembered. That's why Spike was here. He was helping to make a dimension to send Glory to. One she could never escape.  
  
Then it hit her.  
  
She pulled her head from her sister's shoulder and looked around again, realizing the 'how' and 'why' for herself. "I-I did this." She pulled away from Buffy. "I did this."  
  
"Did what?" Picard asked. "What was it she did?"  
  
He was ignored.  
  
"Buffy? We can't get back. That was the whole point." She shook her head. "And it's all my fault." She took a few more steps backwards. "All my-" She spun and ran for the first door she saw and out into the corridors of the huge starship when they slid open.  
  
"Dawn!" Buffy called and ran after her.  
  
The doors slid shut once again.  
  
Commander Riker tapped the insignia on his chest. "Security."  
  
Spike leaned against the wall and fished though his duster's pocket for a cigarette. "Leave 'em be. Slayer's just got to go talk to her a bit."  
  
Riker had no intention of letting them run free on the ship and began spouting orders for a security team to look for two strangers, female, running through the corridors.  
  
"Why do you keep calling her Slayer?" Dr. Crusher asked.  
  
Spike remembered his cigarettes were lying in the front lawn of the Summers home and grunted in annoyance. He nodded towards the door the sister's had run out of. "It's what she is. A Vampire Slayer." He grinned at the curious doctor.  
  
"A Vampire Slayer? She kills vampires?" The captain asked.  
  
Beverly watched Spike nod. "But you just said you are a vampire?"  
  
"Yeah." Spike nodded, now searching his pockets for a smoke that may have fallen out of the pack. Crushed or not, he really could use it now. "I think she's really letting her work slide."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
One thing Buffy knew she could do was catch her sister. Another thing she new was her sister could run very quickly and it might take her awhile. "Dawn!" She yelled again as she turned a corner, catching a glimpse of brown hair disappear around another up ahead.  
  
She passed several people, most dressed in similar uniforms to those she'd seen on the show, others were dressed fairly normal. Slacks and shirts. Occasionally dresses.  
  
The faces she passed were not all human. Some were blue, some were spotted, other had an unfamiliar crinkle on the bridge of their nose. All moved to the side as she sped towards, then past them.  
  
She kept running down the halls, listening for her sister's footfalls ahead. Then she came to a T-junction and stopped. Dawn was gone. Out of sight, out of range to hear her. "Well this is just perfect." Buffy said throwing her arms in the air.  
  
She turned around, suddenly very unsure of where she was, or how to get back to the sickbay. "Oh yeah. This is a typical Buffy day. Just a new setting."  
  
She heard someone clearing their throat behind her and turned to see a man with pointed ears staring at her.  
  
"I'm sorry." Buffy stood aside to let the man pass. He nodded curtly at her and walked by without a word. It wasn't until he was completely out of her vision when she realized she could have asked him for directions.  
  
She slumped her shoulders at the situation and spoke mockingly at whatever deity would listen. "How do I even get back to the. what was it, oh yeah.sickbay?"  
  
Suddenly the panel lit up next to her. The same black panel she saw both on the bridge and in the sickbay. Arrows pointed back the way she came. "Oh yeah." She remembered. "The computer."  
  
She got an idea. "Computer, I need to find Dawn?"  
  
A woman's voice came from all around her. "Please specify planet and hemisphere."  
  
"Oh brother."  
  
************************************ *******************************************  
  
OK, just to warn ya'll. I didn't take allot of time going to find the exact episode or season in Trek this is. Since this is just a make shift universe following the rules that are known to Trekkers I figured being exact about it would be a waste of time. The characters in Trek are just as they would be somewhere around season 5, but I'm not planning on cameos from Wesley or Roe. So if you're waiting for naughty Dawn Wesley moments.. don't hold your breath. That said. Thanks for reading, and more to come. someday. 


	4. Which Witch

*****For all of you who have left reviews, I just wanna say Wow.. also I'm sorry for taking so long. Once again my life took a wacky turn and my ability to concentrate on this was.. well.. completely gone. At any rate, as with my other chapter stories, I am hell bent on completing this. So just be patient and hopefully enjoy this new chapter. Thank You (  
  
Which Witch  
  
Dawn could hear here sister's footfalls getting closer. Even with the young teen pushing her limits, she knew she would never be able to outrun her preternaturally fast Slayer sibling.  
  
She turned yet another corner and saw a door to her right sliding shut. Without thinking, she leapt through the slight opening left before is swooshed completely closed behind her, getting some air with her leap and landing on something that had been standing just beyond the doors opening.  
  
It wasn't until she rolled off her stomach and pushed herself into a somewhat sitting position that she saw that the something was actually a someone. She scrambled to scoot herself backwards but found a wall mere inches behind her. With no way to escape the penetrating stare of the young boy giving her a very dirty look she started to apologize franticly. "I'm so sorry. I was just trying to-" She cut her own words off while her mind tried to come up with a reasonable explanation for tumbling into the klingon child.  
  
Alexander, who simply stood himself back up and glared at the human, waited for the reason he'd had the air knocked out of him.  
  
While Dawn straightened herself up from the floor and stood, her mind had reverted to the best tactic available for her explanation. Rambling. "I was trying to get away from my sister, who is so gonna kill me when she figures out that I have, once again, screwed everything up. Everything I do always messes up. And I'm just a kid, I don't what's going on. And how was I supposed to know it would work. I'm just a Key, not a witch, and who just lets a kid go reading spells like that anyway? A book sure, cuz Willow gave me the book, but it didn't even have actual spells or anything." She took a breath, finally.  
  
Alexander's face went from anger to confusion in record time. "Witch? Spell?" The English rolled out of his mouth without a thought. After all, it was the language he had used with his mother until her death, and the one he generally used without even thinking about it.  
  
He studied the unfamiliar girl for a moment, wondering if the Enterprise had a group of visitors. Usually if there were children among a visiting entourage he would hear of it from his father as the dutiful head of security prepared any extra safety measures, although often unaware of how much his curious offspring overheard. Alexander was understandably surprised to see the human teen. One he had no knowledge of. Quickly his mind went over possibilities that could relate the young woman's words.  
  
Often parents that brought their children for visits, rather a long or short excursions, would direct them towards a form of entertainment while business was handled with whomever they had come to see. Inwardly, The boy decided the only explanation possible, that might connect to witches, or spells, and an angry sibling. "A holodeck program?" He asked.  
  
"Hu?" Dawn's mind left whatever words she was trying to decide on saying next, which mostly contained more apologies. Then she recognized the child, much shorter then she and realized how strange her previous statements must have sounded. She began nodding franticly. "Y-yeah. The holodeck. We were playing a game.. on-on the holodeck. I made her loose. Um.. " She looked past the boy to the door of the small enclosure and then took in exactly where she was. One of those elevators. Turbolift thingies. "I think I better let her cool off. You know, no fighting, cuz fighting is.. bad." Yeah sure, that made sense. A perfectly logical explanation.. to make.. to a child.. of a race of warriors.  
  
She sighed inwardly, wondering how she got herself into these situations.  
  
Alexander wasn't sure why, but he was fairly sure she wasn't telling the whole truth. Still, she was obviously a guest on the Enterprise. She was most definitely distraught over something. His relationship with Deanna Troi had at least taught him to recognize that. And although another impulse told him that he should report the missing girl to a family member who may very well be looking for her, he also thought that from the look on the brunettes face, a 'cooling down' period might need to come first. He went with his first instinct. "Well, if you want to, you can come with me. I was going to Ten-Forward. Guinan promised to let me try one of the Counselor's favorite deserts."  
  
Perplexed at the quick turn of events, Dawn numbly nodded, then heard the young boy call out to the walls. "Deck Ten-Forward." Then the almost undetectable movement beneath her feet began.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Buffy grumbled when the arrows came to a halt pointing to a door embedded in the wall of the long winding corridor. She shook here head and took two more steps towards the entrance, triggering the mechanism that caused the door to slide open with a swoosh she suddenly found extremely annoying.  
  
Scanning the area as she entered, Buffy found the same people there that had been when she abruptly ran out only minutes earlier. Willow still laid on the bed unmoving, but for the steady rise and fall of her chest as she breathed. Spike was now leaning uncaring against the wall a few feet from her best friend. The Three uniformed humans were discussing the entire situation and the orderlies, still walked back and forth, organizing and reorganizing the medical instruments and other things she couldn't begin to put names to.  
  
Spike looked up and straightened himself up when she entered. "Where's the Bit?"  
  
Buffy shrugged. "Lost her in that maze of halls." She looked back at the Captain. "You know, you really should have little maps out there. Like in shopping malls, with a little arrow. You know, 'you are here'?"  
  
The Captain took in the worry etched on the young woman's face. Her quips aside, she had genuine concern for her sister's safety. "Commander Riker has already ordered security to search for your sister."  
  
Even as Picard informed the slayer, the first officer was amending the order for the search to one young human female, along with a quick description of the girl's appearance.  
  
Buffy listened intently, acquiescing to the help offered. As much as she'd like to be the one to find here sister, this was not a cemetery, nor Sunnydale, or even her dimension. She was all but helpless. A situation she was never accustom to, and did not enjoy. "Thanks."  
  
Picard softened his gaze and was about to say something else when the com rang out. "Captain Picard."  
  
He quickly tapped the insignia on his Chest. "Yes, Data."  
  
"Captain," The voice began. "We have just received a partial transmission from Mandos Three. It appears to be a distress call, but the transmission was cut off before we could receive the full message."  
  
The Captain sighed heavily. "On my way."  
  
He nodded to his second in command. "Number One."  
  
Riker understood easily and prepared to go with the elder man.  
  
Before walking away, Picard glanced at the unusual trio in his sickbay, then addressed Beverly. "They will need universal translators, and accommodations until we can figure out what's to be done." He looked back at the blonde woman. "With your permission of course Miss Summers."  
  
Strangely enough, she looked back at Spike before opening her mouth to answer, but the Captain was already heading out with the larger officer right behind him. "The Doctor will explain it." Jean-Luc called out, and the doors quickly opened, then closed after the two officers exited.  
  
Buffy twisted her mouth with a little disgust at being brushed off. "Friendly isn't he." The statement could in no way be mistaken as a question. The easy sarcasm had the peroxide vampire chuckling to himself.  
  
"The Captain is a busy man, and we can get you settled." The Doctor said as she prepared another instrument. This one looking a little like the syringe she had used earlier for Willow and Dawn, but somehow more foreboding. "Now, the implantation of the universal translator should be done right away." She began explaining, and headed towards Buffy. "It may sting for a moment, but you will have no more difficulty understanding what people are saying to you."  
  
Buffy's eyes widened as the doctor continued her explanation. "In my ear?"  
  
But both women were surprised to hear the vampire speak. "Bugger that. 'M not 'avin anymore things shoved into my cranium." The women looked at him, and the fearful eyes that stared at the instrument still in the grip of the redheaded woman. "Know plenty of languages, won't be needing it."  
  
Buffy didn't even bother muffling her giggles. "Awww.. poo-oor Spikey."  
  
"You shouldn't be laughing Slayer. It'll be the same lot for you."  
  
"It's really quite simple." The Doctor interrupted. The last thing she wanted was repeat performance of the couples insatiable bickering. "I'm surprised it wasn't done when you were children." Then she rethought the statement, regarding when William had been a child. "Or at least Buffy, as a child."  
  
The slayer shook her head, then looked up at the ceiling sending a memo to any higher power that happened to be around, and quickly shared her hatred for magic when it completely backfired in her face. She walked over to the center of the main room, then slid onto the empty medical bed in the main room Spike had been poking around in earlier. She nodded to the Doctor. "Alright."  
  
As the woman in the blue lab coat moved towards Buffy, Spike realized he was now canoeing up shit creek, and the Slayer just tossed both oars off the sides.  
  
Buffy squinted both eyes shut, waiting for what pain would come. So concentrated on the action, she didn't notice Dr. Crusher stepping away from her. "How is that?"  
  
"Just do it. I'm ready." Buffy said, still with her eyes shut tight.  
  
Spike watched with curiosity before cocking his head to the side. "That it Doc?"  
  
Beverly glanced back at the vampire, and smiled easily. "That's it, William."  
  
Buffy allowed her eyes to open, and saw the smiling woman looking at her. "You mean it's done?"  
  
"Slayer, what was it that the Initiative called me?" Spike asked offhandedly.  
  
"Hostile 17." Buffy answered, once again confused. "What's that got to do with anything?"  
  
"Not a thing really, 'cept now you understand French." Spike gave her a cockeyed grin.  
  
Buffy's face spread into a genuine grin. "Really?"  
  
He nodded once, then eyed the doctor now holding a new, but duplicate, of the instrument she had held moments before. "Alright Doc. Go on. Do your worst."  
  
Buffy smiled even wider. "Yeah, just remember to wash the area vigorously. with holy water."  
  
"Hey now!"  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Picard stepped onto the bridge with his first officer right behind. The two gentlemen walked down the slight ramp to the seats in the command area "Report Mr. Data." The captain queried.  
  
The Gold skinned android vacated his position in the center of the seats reserved for the newly entered officers. "Sir, the transmission originated on the southernmost continent, and for reasons we still cannot surmise, cut off before it's completion."  
  
Data moved into his seat at ops and tapped at the black screen now in front of him at his post. A moment later the garbled words came through behind static and a squealing sound born of poor reception.  
  
"To any ships in the area. This is Parsons, of the Mandos colony. We need immediate transport off the planet. The planet's," at this point the transmission was too full of static to make any sense as feint voice continued in the background. Then it resumed with a barely audible desperation. "Not prepared for the forces. Again, we need immediate evacuation off the planet." And the stream continued once again from it's beginning.  
  
Picard turned to the bearded man to his right. "I'm afraid our mystery guests will have to wait."  
  
"Agreed." Riker turned to the ops station. "Mr. Data, what information do we have on the Mandos colony?"  
  
The man turned mechanicly in his seat and began spouting off what information he had already gathered, knowing the question would be asked. "The Mandos colony was established 32 years ago. They specifically requested Mandos Three because of the placement of the stars. The reason, although never fully explored, had to do with their unique religious practices."  
  
"Unique?" The Captain asked.  
  
"Yes, according to the information I could find, they are alchemists of a sort. But with beliefs ingrained that closely resemble those of witchcraft."  
  
At this, the usually Quiet Security officer Spoke up. "Voodoo."  
  
"Although often misinterpreted in non respected communities as voodoo, their practices do not seem to have any real connection to that ancient art Mr. Warf." Data continued. "It also may be of some interest that they have great respect to the witches sacrificed in the Virginia colonies in Earth's United stated of the late 18th century. Going so far as to celebrate the heroism of those who were put to death using several means such as water torture, hanging-"  
  
"Thank you Mr. Data." Although informative, Data's 'of interest' side-notes tended to get rather longwinded for a man not requiring breath. "Set a course for Mandos Three, warp 7."  
  
The android turned to face forward at his station and set the ship in motion.  
  
Picard's mind began to race at the memories of the conversation that had taken place in the sickbay.  
  
"Captain?" He heard the officer beside him call.  
  
Jean-Luc took one deep breath, trying to clear his head before facing his bearded colleague. "Will, does it seem coincidental to you that a colony of self proclaimed witches are having trouble at the same time our impromptu visitors claim a spell was involved in their arrival?"  
  
Riker leaned forward in his seat. "And a vampire? That is something out of mythology."  
  
The captain nodded in agreement, and gave a small grunt as his minds began working again. Then he turned to His security chief. "Is there any word on the missing girl?"  
  
"None, Sir. I have four teams looking for her starting from sickbay and working outward. With her assumed unfamiliarity of the ship, she couldn't have gone far."  
  
"I'd like another team escorting the others." Picard looked back at Riker. "If the do have anything to do with the colony's problems, I want to know their movements."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Anya moved about the Summers's kitchen opening every cabinet, then closing it loudly. Interrupted only by little wines of disappointment or sighs. Her shoulders were slumped and the pout on her face couldn't be wiped away.  
  
"Anya," Xander tried to explain for the third time in five minutes. "If Buffy had any cheese puffs, they'd be in the corner cabinet."  
  
"Yes Anya. I see no reason to slam each of the doors. We understand you would like a snack." Giles added.  
  
The ex demon turned, pout still firmly in place. "It was rude of you to eat all of the pizza before I could have any." She complained. "And I can't concentrate on an empty stomach."  
  
"W-well, you could go to the store. We're going to be at this for awhile." Tara said, then saw Xander's face fall when she realized she had doomed them into a seriously long evening of research. And that was if they were lucky enough to find a solution in one night. "Sorry." She said and looked back down at the book trying desperately to find anything that could point to an answer.  
  
"Yes, Anya." Giles pulled his billfold out of his jacket pocket and quickly pulled out a few bills. "Get yourself something to eat."  
  
She frowned at the money in her hand. "Ten dollars? That would barely buy a decent meal."  
  
"I thought you were after cheese puffs." Xander questioned. "Not real high on the monetary need then."  
  
"But if I'm going to go out, I think I should get something more then a bag of munchies." At her boyfriend's frown she continued. "And of course I would be picking something up for all of us. Tea, or something for Giles. And You always like those crunchy corn chips that get crumbs all over the sheets that get into very uncomfortable places when we copulate."  
  
Giles, still holding his wallet gave her several more bills. "Buy the store out of whatever you want. Just do stop referring to... crumbs."  
  
The pout was instantly gone when she saw the money appear, replaced with glee. "I'm on it." She said, accentuating the statement with a shake of the fist now full of money. A quick peck on Xander's cheek and she was out the back door in a flash.  
  
Tara raised an eyebrow and smiled a little at the older man's discomfort when it came to Anya's bluntness, and the distraction it usually caused.  
  
"Uh, Giles, not to question that watcher wisdom, but you do know you just handed her a 50, and a 100?" Xander pointed out sheepishly.  
  
"What?" Rupert asked unbelieving then opened his wallet to see only the other 2 five dollar bills and several one's he thought he had handed the young man's girl friend." He swiped the glasses from his face and tossed them on the counter. "Is there anything else that could possibly go wrong tonight?"  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Alexander was going on about the desert Deanna had introduced him to, but Dawn wasn't really paying attention as she looked over the space filled with unfamiliar faces. It was somehow surreal. The myriad of aliens sitting around congregating made her think of Willy's. Or at least what she thought Willy's must look like.  
  
Different creatures intermixed with humans from wall to wall of the darkly luminated area. Tables were spaced neatly, giving the large room a quality that rang of home and not work. On the wall with the door they'd entered from was a large bar with unusually colored liquids in all kinds of bottles. Although it screamed drinking bar, it just didn't feel like one. And the fact that two young people were allowed to sit among the adults was proof of this.  
  
While Dawn studied her new surroundings, a woman in a royal blue robe and an oddly shaped hat watched her silently before coming up beside the table the two youngsters had taken residence at. "Alexander. Are you here for that treat?" Guinan asked the klingon.  
  
He nodded and smiled at the cocoa skinned woman.  
  
"And who is your friend? I don't believe I've seen her before." She asked, looking at the girl seated across from one of her favorite children of the starship.  
  
Dawn gave the woman a smile and extended her hand. "I'm Dawn. Alexander," Dawn nodded to the boy. "Said I could try a desert. Something the counselor likes." Going along with the situation, Dawn explained as simply as she could.  
  
"Alright. That's two triple fudge delights then." The woman confirmed before leaving to make the treats.  
  
Dawn was suddenly very excited. "Fudge. Yum."  
  
Alexander was glad to see His new friend's face finally soften and smiled back.  
  
Guinan swept behind the bar and tapped the small bad on her bar. "Security. I may have found your missing girl."  
  
TBC 


	5. You Are Here

Once upon a time, there was a beautiful princess named Kay (hehe.. really) and this princess had these wild ideas. Some for life, some for art, some for the hell of it. Unfortunately this princess has no cable at the moment and her connection now sux ass. Good thing she can write stories for fun.. you know.. when her kids let her do that. :P  
  
Ok.. on with it.. yeah..  
  
You Are Here  
  
"Not stamp collecting. Not cooking. Not even that Salsa dancing rot everyone is going on about." Spike continued his rant as the two were lead down the hall by a uniformed security guard. Or as Buffy had quickly nicknamed them, 'goldies'. "No bloody biking," Spike was continuing, but paused to give her a curious look. "You know those fellas are out of their minds, he'd 'ave fit in nicely."  
  
Buffy gave him a dirty look, but kept her pace, following the man leading them to rooms that were apparently theirs till the foursome could find a way back, or the crew dropped them off. Where? She didn't know, possibly the moon. Although now that she thought about it, she couldn't figure out which moon. After all, it's some crazy Trekkie dimension. How many moons could there be? Billions? Billions upon billions? These thoughts along with worry over her friend still unconscious, a roaming sister, and when exactly did Spike become a rambling moron? Moron yes, but a rambler?  
  
"And working with you, at the very least some fighting. Maybe Karate, boxing even?" Spike kept his tirade going. Other hobbies. That was the topic and he was happy to answer his own question while the Slayer was silent. It was a simple question really. Nothing out of the ordinary, and once he wrapped his mind around it; the vampire wasn't able to come up with enough responses to, "Why couldn't the whelp have had a more productive hobby?"  
  
Buffy shook her head. "Dawn is running around doing who knows what. Willow isn't even awake, and I'm stuck with," She looked over with a mildly disgusted smirk aimed at him. "You." She finished, and rolled her eyes before planting her gaze back at the neatly trimmed brown hair on the back of the head of their escort. "We have bigger problems, in case you couldn't tell. Besides, in cooking world we might have drowned in batter, or bike- land... possibly break our necks. and just for the record, I don't think I want to land in some overplayed version of a Karate movie either. Bad dubbing." She crinkled her nose.  
  
He seemed to think about this for a minute. His mind oddly went right to the image of a batter covered Buffy. Possibly in need of a good cleaning. The corners of his mouth went up.  
  
"Oh you can't tell me those are better?"  
  
Spike snapped out of his thought and saw Buffy staring at him. "As a matter of fact," and he gave her an appraising leer.  
  
"I don't want to know." She said and put a hand up mid-air to block his words.  
  
They were halted by the officer who stopped and side stepped a door. Then quickly pushed some glowing outlines on another of the black panels that seemed to be everywhere. The only difference Buffy could see was that this one was much small and on the wall about mid-waist. In moments the door opened swiftly, and the man gave her the offer to go on in with a sweep of his hand. Spike followed her in with and both stopped just inside to look the place over  
  
For his part, the plain looking young man who was assigned to attend to the pair couldn't make any sense of their words. Oh he understood the words alone, but what hobbies, had to do with the duo, and why 'other worlds' were being discussed. Or what connection they could possibly have to two people who, he thought, could be spies of some sort. After all, he'd heard just enough information on the suddenly appearing quartet to know regular visitors didn't just come on board with no way to have arrived. His curious mind wasn't even sure why they would discuss anything in front of him, even if his rank was the lowest one could hold in service on a starship, he could contact officers easily with any relevant details. Surely they would want to know if anything that may explain what the visitors had planned.  
  
This brought him to his final conclusion. The conversation was a set up. They were probably speaking in a code of some sort. And he really needed to stop reading those mystery novels from the twentieth century.  
  
That last thought in his head, he continued with his duty of making sure the two were settled, and guarded.  
  
Although sparse, the room was nice, and had an amazing view of the stars through a window that lined the opposing wall. There were two arches at opposite ends of the living room revealing the promise of more rooms beyond them. To the main entrance's right was a long couch, with a small coffee table in front of it that looked plastic to her. There were also two matching armchairs at either end of the table. All pieces were an off color. Not quite purple, but not exactly blue.  
  
Near the windowed wall, right across from the door, was a table and four chairs for taking meals, and beside that, a desk with what appeared to be a lap top set up and ready to use. These pieces of furniture were black, but shone and had lines of silver along the legs. Buffy looked back at the officer, who stepped into the room and towards the table.  
  
There was another panel mounted to the wall, but instead of being flat, there was a deep indentation almost like a shelf's ledge inside. The officer began to press more of the lighted areas on the panel. "The doctor has already programmed the replicators to provide you." He nodded towards the platinum blonde. "With blood. But if there is a problem, all you have to do is tell one of us outside your door. Most likely it's calibration. Not too many request for plain animal blood."  
  
"Animal blood?" He questioned Buffy. "At least let me have synthesized human blood for sodden." He was on the verge of pleading. "It's not even real." He rationalized exasperated.  
  
Buffy loved whatever small amount of power she had. And if her glee could only come from torturing an already huge pain in her ass. well, better. "It's the principal." She stated simply, hiding her smile.  
  
He didn't even try to hold back the quiet growl.  
  
"Over here is the restroom." The crewman ignored them by now, quite used to the bickering, and walked through the doorway in the wall beside the table and chairs. He stopped at a closed door immediately to the right which slid open to reveal a bathroom complete with sink, toilet and what looked like a shower without the spill guards on the floor. Strangely, no bathtub. He stepped back just enough for the door to slide shut and took the other two steps through the archway that took them to a bedroom with one large bed. "Sleeping quarters." He explained quickly then walked around the couple who looked from the bed, then back at him.  
  
Buffy was the one to say it. "We're gonna need more beds."  
  
The officer was on the other side of the main room now, and standing at the archway directing them to look inside. They came across and saw another room with two more beds. Smaller then the other one, but perfectly comfortable. Buffy quickly smiled." Alright."  
  
Spike, being evil and naughty, and any other word that could be used to describe a wicked mind, came up with his conclusion quickly. "So we'll be taking the large bed then eh'?" He followed the idea up with yet another grin and a leer.  
  
Slowly she turned he head and sneered. "No, I'll be taking the bed. You 'my not so friend-friend' will be taking a sofa safari."  
  
"Bah." He spun and headed back to the couch and unceremoniously fell onto it, his duster draped back to take up almost all the surface offered.  
  
"If you need more accommodations, I can arrange that." Goldie offered.  
  
As much as the idea of not having Spike around appealed, she really didn't want him running loose to cause whatever havoc he may feel the need to. "No. It's fine." Buffy smiled sweetly and batted her lashed for effect.  
  
"I'm Craigs. I'll be right outside if you need something, and you will be notified if there is a change in your friend's status, and when your sister is found.  
  
"How long will that be? Till you find Dawn?" Buffy clarified.  
  
"Not long I'm sure. It's a big ship, but several people are looking."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
No one could ever call the red head lazy, but sleeping in really wasn't her thing, mostly because she never gave herself a chance to do it. Not that she was an "up before the butt-crack of dawn" person, but her body was telling her that an alarm should have gone off by now. That bit of fog that had let her believe it had to be the middle of the night, and she surely didn't have to get up yet, was receding and the fact that her mind felt rested soon caused her to face reality.  
  
Unfortunately she opened her eyes, and do you know what? Reality was nowhere in sight. Never mind the very plain bed she knew wasn't hers. Ignore the fact that this was definitely not her dorm room. And nope, that man over on the other side of the room in a blue jumpsuit was really never gonna pass as Tara.  
  
So Willow did what seemed most reasonable. She closed her eyes, once, twice, three times. Blinking and knowing that once her mind was cleared she could once again look to her left and see... the plain empty bed, and the guy in blue.  
  
"Wha-" Her voice cracked so the word didn't quite make it out. She tried to swallow to clear her throat, but the barely audible sound she'd made caught the attention of the male nurse.  
  
While Willow tried to sit herself up in the odd environment the handsome man walked towards her. "And here I thought we might have to make these your permanent quarters." He joked.  
  
Her brow furrowed. "Hu?"  
  
"Still waking up?" The man said with some concern and she watched as he sidled up to her bed. When his attention went to the wall behind her head, above the pillowed end of the bed, she turned and watched the lines moving parallel to each other on a black panel. "Well the good news is all your vitals are stable. The bad news is you've been out for a few hours. Might take you a minute to get your barings." He quickly explained.  
  
And to Willow, the biggest understatement in the world hit her. 'Get my barings, I have barings? I barely know where I am.' And she looked around.  
  
Ok strike that, I have no clue where I-  
  
"Willow. Good, you're awake."  
  
Willow's head whipped around from the panel she was still staring at, to the red head woman wearing a similar shade of blue to that of the nurse, and a lab-coat to match. The uniform was slightly different, and along with the jacket adorning the elder of the two people with her, Willow decided this was the person who might know what the heck was happening. Before she had a chance to ask though, the stranger began to explain.  
  
"Your friends Buffy and William have already been checked. They are waiting for you in rooms set aside for guests." The doctor said and reviewed the information her nurse had already seen. "And I just got word that Dawn may have been spotted." Beverly stopped and saw the confused look on the young lady's face. "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't even introduce myself. I'm Doctor Crusher. You and your friends," Beverly paused deciding on how to describe the sudden presence of the foursome. "You appeared on out bridge a few hours ago. "  
  
"Dawn? Spotted?" Oddly enough, the picture in her head was that of Dawn covered with polka dots. Apparently she still wasn't forming actual ideas that required thought.  
  
With a gentle look from the panel she was resetting, back to the confused young woman, the doctor tried to explain. "Well, it seems she feels at fault for whatever brought you here. She was very upset and she and her sister tried to calm her, but the poor girl just ran. "But don't worry; The Security Teams are looking for her. I'm afraid the news of your impromptu arrival on the bridge spread quickly. It seems someone may have already found her." She finished with a smile.  
  
Willow nodded, at least understanding that much. But the entire thing was too much to take in, where was she? What was it? "The, the bridge?" Willow asked tentatively.  
  
The same look that had been on Buffy's face was now on the meek looking Willow's features. Now, even more then before, the Doctor was sure the strangers had no intention of being on the ship.  
  
"Yes, of The Starship Enterprise. I'm the Chief of medical, and except for the extreme exhaustion you and Dawn suffered, you are all in good health." That much comfort she could provide.  
  
"Wait." Willow said abruptly, and one of her eyes squinted slightly as she rolled the last bit of info around in her head. "We're on a starship? In the middle of space... like... in SPACE space?"  
  
Beverly nodded. "Yes, a starship." This girl seemed to know a little something. At least she got the idea quickly.  
  
And it all hit Willow all at once, the show, the spell, Dawn reading. But there was no way Dawn should have been able to invoke that kind of power. She hadn't even practiced. In all of her mind's memories, she couldn't remember Dawn even trying to float a pencil, much less mesh two extremely powerful castings into one with the control needed to make it actually work. And from the looks of her surroundings, the wiccan was sure it had worked.  
  
"That doesn't make any sense." Willow said allowed.  
  
"That has been the consensus so far. We can't detect any residuals of your arrival, and even your friends seemed lost."  
  
Willow's mind was racing as the doctor waited for a reaction. And then the witch understood. And the reason she was so drained. "You said Dawn and I both suffered from exhaustion?"  
  
Curious, the doctor again nodded. "You were both unconscious. She woke up a little more then an hour ago, quit disturbed."  
  
"Well, yeah. I mean a minute ago we were in the family room... or, I guess it was a few hours ago, hu?" She received a small smile form the doctor in response. "But Buffy was ok, and then Dawnie was ok?"  
  
"Yes, Both Buffy and William seemed unharmed by whatever brought you here. Well, except for his condition of course." She shook her head. "I never would have imagined it, vampires. But I'll have to say we do see some rather unusual things." Willow's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets, but the doctor was turned away from her, setting up some equipment. "And Dawn recovered quickly. But as I said, was distraught, and ran out of here within a few seconds of waking up." The doctor turned back to her patient with the same instrument she had used earlier on the vampire for insertion of the translator. By the stunned look on Willow's face, she deduced the young woman was worried by the instrument in her hand.  
  
"Now, there is something I need to talk to you about." Beverly began, and went over the use of the metal object in her hand while Willow nodded and tried very hard to listen while trying to figure out exactly what had happened, and how she could ever fix it."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"I'm going to explode." Dawn announced to her smiling friend while she held her stomach. "I'm serious. It could happen."  
  
Alexander took his final bite, and mimicked Dawn's movements and held his stomach as well. "I don't think I'll eat for at least a week."  
  
"It's like they took everything good about chocolate, and put it in this little bowl just to see who was insane enough to eat it all." She continued and made a pouty face for a total of 2 seconds, then brightened again. "Think we could get seconds?"  
  
Alexander started to laugh, then grimaced a bit gripping his stomach. "I don't think so." But continued laughing.  
  
"So, I take it you enjoyed the desert." Guinan asked with her fingers laced in front of her.  
  
"Too good." Dawn answered smiling.  
  
The mild tone of the woman seemed to put everyone at ease. It was a talent all from her planet had, and Guinan used it often to help even unnoticed by most. "That's good Dawn. I'm glad you enjoyed it. But I'm afraid you've been found out."  
  
Alexander had just been watching in silence, but saw the woman's eyes shift to the main doors, then two security officers strode in heading straight for their table.  
  
Dawn turned and saw them too. "Oh crap."  
  
"Guess you've got to go then?' The young klingon asked.  
  
Guinan went around the table to intercept the men. "She's just finishing up."  
  
The two men saw Dawn standing up and nodded, letting her get herself ready. She wasn't to be taken in to custody, just escorted to her quarters, so there was no rush.  
  
The brunette teen walked up to the men bravely. "Am I off to jail now?"  
  
"No Miss. We are to take you to your sister." The fit sandy blonde man answered.  
  
Dawn frowned. "Could you lock me up instead?"  
  
Guinan laid a hand on the girl's shoulder. "It'll be alright Dawn. Whatever it is, I know sisters can be difficult, but whatever is wrong, you two can work it out."  
  
And oddly, this stranger's words brought her great comfort. So she nodded a little, shrugged, and took the frown to an only mildly even tempered look. "Thanks for the fudge and ice cream." She said to Alexander, and then smiled to the barkeeper before falling in step behind the two uniformed men.  
  
Guinan watched the young boy's face fall. "Such a sad face." He looked up at her with the frown still in place. "I wouldn't worry. I have a feeling she will be just fine."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Buffy sat on her bed; her hands were firmly pressed against her ears as she studied the comforter she was now staring at intently.  
  
One stupid comment and Spike had been happy as a lonely sailor after too long a time at sea with a dock full of easy women.  
  
Alright, it had been more then one word.  
  
Buffy had sat on one of armchairs for a total of 10 minutes before trying to leave the apartment, and being stopped by the ensign at the door. It wasn't that they had to stay, but the officer quickly explained that her sister would be brought directly here when found, so she had gone back inside, given Spike a dirty look, and flopped back on her chair.  
  
He snorted, it annoyed her. She rolled her eyes, he chuckled, it annoyed her twice as much. She crossed her arms; he waggled his eyebrow, and offered her an invitation to help her from getting bored. So she had gotten up, and gruffly marched to the desk with the laptop sitting out and ready for use. Except it wasn't a laptop. It only took Buffy a second to realize that the absence of a regular keyboard meant she could just tell it what she wanted to see, much like the computer in the hallway.  
  
Unfortunately nothing came to mind. She stared at the insignia of Starfleet and couldn't think of a darn thing to check out.  
  
"You just goin' to stare it?" The blond perched on the couch asked with a cocked eyebrow.  
  
She sighed. "I honestly can't think of anything. I have no idea what could help us get out of here." The defeat was evident in her voice.  
  
Spike clicked his tongue behind his teeth and stood up, then walked over to her. "Shove over." She got up and he took her place. Then for a few moments he was quite entertaining for her, looking behind the screen, under the desk, across the room. "Where's the bloody keys at?"  
  
She couldn't muffle her giggle. "You just ask it. You know? Tell it what you want and it should show you."  
  
"Chipper." He said with a grin and stared at the screen for a few minutes, before gleaming grin that could only be bad. "Show me every track recorded by The Sex Pistols."  
  
And that led Buffy to this place. With nothing but the blaring punk rock echoing off the walls and Spike trying to scream the words along with it. Because there is no way that this could be singing. I don't care what planet or century you're from. This is just .. wrong.  
  
And this was it. She was going to let him act like the 2 year old hidden inside. Then he could get it out of his system before Dawn got back. But by now, after song number 15, her head was hurting, she was fairly sure her eyes and ears would be bleeding, and her teeth were chattering insanely. She slid off the bed, stood at the doorway separating her space from his. "Spike!!!!"  
  
Unfortunately his back was turned to her, and his head bobbing uncontrollably from side to side while he yelled yet another line, didn't seem to be even close to turning her way. There was no way she was going to get his attention. "Spiiiikkkee!!! She came around to the lap top and hoped to god that the computer could hear her even if a vampire couldn't. "Stop this music!!!!" She yelled at it, and was rewarded with blissful silence.  
  
"Hey, I was listenin' to that." He growled. "Turn on that last one." He said to the laptop from the other side of the desk.  
  
There was a quiet blipping sound indicating the order was received.  
  
"No, don't do it. No more music." Buffy quickly amended. And another bleeping was heard.  
  
"Come on Slayer. Some of these I've only heard once or twice. And they have them on live tracks. It's unheard of."  
  
"I'm going deaf here. No more." She countered with finality.  
  
Spike snorted. "I can't just sit around all bloody day doing nothing."  
  
"Why not? It's what you do every other day of your miserable life."  
  
"S'not. I get about. I have the tele, could do some reading..."  
  
"Ha!" She let out the one loud sound. "I'd be surprised if you can sing your ABC's. Don't even try to convince me you actually sit and read." She stared him down, "And just so you know, there are more letters in the alphabet then A, B, and O. Reading the menu at Willie's, it doesn't count."  
  
"He can read." They both heard from the main entrance.  
  
The pair spun to see Dawn, and Willow both. Along with what looked like a Star Trek convention's worth of uniforms milling around behind them.  
  
Willow walked through the door, giving Dawn a little shove allowing the door to sweep closed behind them, giving the group a little privacy.  
  
Buffy pulled Dawn into a hug immediately. "God you scared me. "  
  
Dawn let her sister squish her for a second before returning the embrace. "I know. I'm sorry."  
  
Buffy let her go but held her at arm's length. "It's ok. As long as we all stick together, I'm sure we can figure this out. Ok?" She pleaded with her sister with her yes. "Just no more running off like that."  
  
Dawn, abashed, nodded her consent. "Alright. Got it."  
  
Buffy grinned a bit, then nodded as well before turning to her best friend. "Willow, you ok?" She asked with obvious worry.  
  
"Yeah... took me a minute to like, think. But I'm ok now. Xander is never gonna believe this."  
  
"Boy'll probably be jealous." Spike added his two cents with the usual ignoring that came with him speaking when more then just one scoob was around.  
  
Buffy's gaze went quickly to her little sister and back to her friend. "What the heck happened?"  
  
Willow pursed her lips for a second, before beginning. "Well I got the gist of how we popped in here, and I've been going through it in my head," she paused and went to the couch, pulling some things out of her skirt pocket. She quickly deposited some change on the coffee tables top and began arranging on the surface as she spoke. "It's pretty simple actually, at least part of it. The spell called for 3 elements, and well, we kind of gave it to them. The TV" She pointed to a quarter. "That little gun thingy." Willow pointed to a dime.  
  
"Phaser" Dawn provided and sat beside Willow.  
  
"Right," Willow went on. "And all those books... well no, not the books. Xander having read all those books actually." She pointed to another quarter. "That was the last thing. I mean, he has those things memorized, and those were just the ones he brought."  
  
Spike was still standing to the side but took the chair to Willows right. "But can he speak French?"  
  
"Yeah, Xander never even took the class. And that captain, he just started spouting it out." Buffy said, finally taking the chair to the left of the couch, across from the vampire.  
  
"It's how the spell works, Buffy." Willow took a breath, and moved the coins again. What she ended up with was a diagram showing the placement of the 3 elements, Xander on the couch, Tara just behind them in the doorway, and the four of them in the center of the triangle made by the three items that had formed the shell this dimension was built on. "See, these things," she pointed at the three quarters. "Are like the blueprint. You know, give's the basics... but the whole point of the dimension, at least this one, was to hold Glory. Make sure the place would change and grow. Make sure things would work... well the way they should to her. Go on her experiences. Her being."  
  
"So it could hold a God. An all powerful, evil God..?" Buffy began to question.  
  
"Right. So it draws on... well everything present at the time. Including us, and Anything Xander and Tara knows. What it can't get from that... well... it fills in. I mean, the spell has the basic physics of what needs to be done; it's just a matter of filling in the blanks. But the natural elements... they are already there."  
  
Spike leaned forward in his chair. "So if I know French..?"  
  
"Oh, and the captain... he's supposed to be French." Dawn interrupted excitedly.  
  
"Well Willow speaks French, and I took it in High school too." Buffy added.  
  
Willow again nodded agreeing and spoke to Buffy this time. "Yeah, exactly. Even if you never really got it, all those conjugations are up in your head."  
  
Buffy was a little embarrassed that Willow put it that way. But at least this was making some sense. "This sounds like a pretty complicated spell Wills. How did my baby sister do it?"  
  
Again Dawn felt guilt. She really didn't mean to make it all work, but, she had.  
  
"It's not your fault Dawn." Willow looked back to the worried teen. "If you were any other 14 year old, it wouldn't have worked. I sure couldn't have done it at your age anyway. That much I know." She said honestly.  
  
Dawn sighed inwardly. She knew what was coming.  
  
"Then how'd the Bit pull it off?" Spike asked, giving the brunette a pointed finger long enough to get his question going.  
  
Willow looked between the group of faces. "Well, the nearest I can figure, whatever energy the Key is... it's dimensional. And it did what comes naturally. But it needed the powers used to cast. Something to draw on"  
  
"It got that from you?" Buffy asked, more in confirmation.  
  
"It's the only thing that makes any sense." Willow concluded.  
  
All were quiet for a few moments. Dawn was glad no one seemed to be glaring at her, but she was determined to do whatever she could to help them break the spell. Buffy's mind was wrapping around what exactly had happened. Spike was trying to remember every song he'd heard by The Ramones.  
  
"Willow, if this place was designed to hold Glory," She crinkled her brow. "How hard is it going to be to get out of here?"  
  
Willow began to shake her head. "I have no idea."  
  
************************************** **********************************************  
  
Ok... had to do the whole, explanation thing. That way when people start looking things up and bam it's all there.. you can't say "Hey, why is there oxygen." Or some silly thing. It's fiction.. it's two unnatural worlds colliding. Just go with the flow. 


	6. Mandos 3

OK, so, in knowing I wanted to try to write a crossover that didn't completely suck monkey butt, I also wanted a good plot. Something all mixy. And look.. mixyness. Well.. down there anyway. I also had pretty much no idea what the plot would be.. but I'm getting some ideas. Thanks for putting up with the serious time between chappy's, and as always, tell me if I'm doing alright. Or if this sux so bad you think you will stay away from any and all crossovers from now on.  
  
Okies?  
  
Thanks again to you who review. I don't think I'd be this far if you didn't drop me a line once in awhile.  
  
This is dedicated to bjred who is my real life bestest friend and prolly my most avid reader. Thanks girl for all your advice and help.  
  
Mandos 3  
  
"Hail them again Mr. Tammel." Picard ordered as he stood now, studying the green and blue orb spin on the large view-screen . "All Languages, all frequencies." He turned and took the short walk back to the center seat in the row set aside for the command unit present. Riker to his right, Counselor Troi to his left.  
  
The lovely brunette was called to duty just minutes ago, waiting to assess the condition of the colonists. Unfortunately her empathic ability, usually a strength she used daily, was erratic. The people below were confused, scared, depressed, euphoric, and hundreds of other mixed emotions. This was of course no different then any mixture among a populace. But in this case something was wrong. For one, the strength at which she would sense them was intense to say the least. Then for no reason she could discern, they would be gone. Completely blank in all ways. Then all she sensed were the people on the ship with her, now in orbit of the planet.  
  
"I'm detecting seismic activity on all 5 of the continents, Captain. Electromagnetic shifts in the atmosphere, and another 17.4% increase in unusual weather patterns." The android's hands moved quickly over the panel in front of him as he relayed the information.  
  
The Vulcan beside him, the aforementioned Mr. Tammel, made similar movements, though not as quickly they were nearly as precise. He also watched the changes in the planet's atmosphere, looking for a pattern that would allow a signal to penetrate the unusual natural field that seemed to be acting quit unnaturally.  
  
"Counselor?" The Captain asked the young woman sitting beside him in a blue uniform much like the Doctor's.  
  
Deanna's brow furrowed as she tried to concentrate on what her mind was seeing. "Something is, magnifying the people's feelings, Captain. It's a little difficult to say what is happening down there. It's.." Her hand went to her head and she slumped back into her seat a moment as all the voices left. "It's gone again." She said looking very drained but trying to sit back up. She closed her eyes for a second waiting for her mind to clear, then opened them and turned to Jean-Luc. "I'm not sure how. it's as though they are screaming. Everything is so much," she searched for a word to describe it. "more. I do sense extreme distress on the most southern continent. If we could-"  
  
"Hello. Anyone." The voice cackled through finally.  
  
The entire bridge became silent but for Ensign Tammel. "Sir, we have broken through, but I do not know how long the signal can be maintained."  
  
Picard nodded and once again stood. 'This is Jean-Luc Picard, of the Starship Enterprise. We received your distress signal. Please, what is happening, and how may we assist?"  
  
There was another round of crackling static, and the bridge crew all waited for the next words of whoever had responded to them. When the transmission continued, their contact was new, a female. "Captain, Please stand by. The next calm will soon arrive."  
  
And the signal was cut off.  
  
Picard looked over his shoulder to his first officer, both with a slightly confused face staring back.  
  
"Sir," They both heard Data call and their attention turned to the pale man now scrolling through the readings as they came in. An intrigued look overtook the officer's face. "It's stopped."  
  
Picard walked over to Data's post and read over the new information.  
  
"The Electromagnetic disturbances have stopped," The android's fingers pressed another glowing rectangular outline on the black surface. "And tectonic activities have returned to normal. Along with wind patterns and all unusual weather." He announced with subtle surprise at each new display.  
  
"Enterprise." A crisp clear female voice came through. "Are you still with us?" She asked a bit demanding.  
  
The captain looked up out of habit and took on the attitude of 'the man in charge'. "Yes. Mandos Colony, this is Captain Picard. To whom am I speaking?"  
  
All at once the view-screen changed to show an elder gray haired and slightly wrinkled woman dressed in robes of several shade of violet. What looked like silk scarves also in an array of purples, were draped over her shoulders. She stood slightly bent, leaning on a wood desk with her hands propping her up. Behind her was what seemed to be personal living quarters . Framed pictures of groups of smiling people, potted greenery and shelves of books, tiny statues and other obviously personal belongings lined the wall directly behind her. There was also a row of baskets with fruits and vegetables in wait for use hanging from the ceiling in a row to the right from the Captain's view. The walls seemed to be constructed from the trees in the area, as an earthly log cabin would be.  
  
Standing to the left was a blonde skinny young man who seemed to be in his early 20's, most probably the owner of the voice who had answered earlier.  
  
The woman straightened up and sighed heavily. "Well that is much better. I'm Ellaina, high priestess of this province. You say you received our distress signal?"  
  
Clearing his throat, Picard nodded. "Yes. How may we be of service? Do you know what is causing the anomalies on the planet?"  
  
"As for your first question, you could prepare for a possible rescue of this colony." She shook her hand directing it to her left and turned before speaking to the boy behind her. "Go fetch Jacob. Tell him to meet me in the square."  
  
The boy nodded quickly and walked past her to the unseen exit.  
  
"And the second?" Riker asked before stepping to the side of his Captain.  
  
"As for the second, I'm afraid I can only show you. It will be safe for a party to transport for another 4 hours. Then I'm afraid the next window will not be for at least another 20 hours after." She explained.  
  
Picard pursed his lips for a moment before making the decision. "Very well." He turned to Riker. "Gather an away team. Include the doctor for any injured they may have."  
  
Riker turned immediately to Data. "Mr. Data, you're with me." And headed towards the turbo lift located in the back right corner of The Bridge. The Android stood and followed without question as another officer took his post.  
  
"Captain?" Troi requested.  
  
The man in question came back to his seat and gave the woman his attention with a curious look. "I feel a presence. One separate from the colony. It's almost as if-" She seemed to search out something in her mind. "The planet. The planet itself is giving off a presence."  
  
"Yes young lady. You are quite right." The colonist confirmed, drawing the attention back to herself. "Unfortunately that's part of the problem. She's an unhappy girl right now, and if we can't appease her. well, Captain we'd appreciate any help you can provide to get my people a safe distance from here if worst comes to worst." Something caught her attention out of the area of the view-screen's vantage, then she turned back. "I'm sending coordinates of the main square for your officer's transport. I'm afraid I must go now. And Thank you Captain Picard." She shared a small smile before the screen went back to the view of the spinning planet.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"But I don't really think I can break it Buff." Willow tried to explain. "For one, I don't know if I can get the ingredients I'd need-"  
  
"But you can come up with something eventually, right?" Buffy asked quickly.  
  
Willow just shook her head. "We're not even sure where to begin, much less the destination."  
  
"Summers' sitting room will suit me just fine, Red. Not even gonna get that picky. Anyplace in our dimension and time would do me." Spike declared.  
  
"You can drop me off at the mall." Dawn supplied, not to be left out.  
  
Willow ran her fingers through her trimmed hair and stared at the replicator in the wall near the table. "Even if I can just order up what I need," She looked back at her best friend with an apologetic face. "I have absolutely no idea what that is."  
  
Buffy sighed. Willow would have been their easiest way to an exit. She had been hoping her Wiccan friend would have some clue as how to get back home, but they'd been over it from at least 10 different angles. Her only possible chance of working a reversal spell would be with Tara's help... and most likely one from inside this new and still forming dimension would fail.  
  
She just plain didn't have the power to control that kind of energy again without her lover's help. How she'd managed with the aid of Dawn was still baffling. The only thing that made sense was that The Key was purely a dimensional entity. Unfortunately the red head wasn't sure how she could use that to her advantage. She was pretty sure trying to use the energy that created this place to destroy it would very possibly kill Dawn. Definitely not an option.  
  
"But your bird still 'as the spell. Could be working out a counter as we speak. Probably got Rupes in on it by now even." Spike looked for other answers. What he knew of the spell was not so much the magic, but the actual effect. He knew there was no way for them to get out on this end. Had to rely on the ones still in SunnyD.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Xander looked back up at the microwave's clock. Shook his head at it, then his eyes went back down to the book he was currently trying to understand. Gathered it up a little tighter as it lay on the table, and read the next few passages, checked out the diagram drawn out on the page, then looked back at the clock.  
  
Tara and Giles had left only a half hour ago to retrieve pillar candles from the magic shop and a crystal that Tara had at her dorm. Anya however, had been gone almost 3 hours. For snacks. With more then $150.00's in her purse. Anything could have gone wrong.  
  
He was now trying to decide exactly what kind of worried he was.  
  
When Tara came across the spell, Giles had seemed excited, at first. The spell wasn't supposed to be complicated, but at the same time, it hadn't really been designed to yank people out of a 'not exactly natural' dimension. In fact, it was one of the few times that Xander really wasn't sure how the spell would help. But if the G-man said it might, that was good enough for him.  
  
So he sat, and waited, and read on just in case this spell didn't work. Although, as he read, he knew he had no idea what he was looking for. Obviously, since Tara had found the incantation they were planning on using in the pages he had read only 20 minutes before she had.  
  
He leaned over the book further after turning yet another useless page when, he heard something moving on the back porch. Just a shuffling of feet but then, glass crashing onto the wooden steps leading to it, then a loud thud as something was dropped.  
  
Quietly he shut the book and slid one of the knives out of the butcher block that sat on the island as he stood from the stool and made his way slowly to the door, trying to stay out of line of sight so the person or demon waiting there couldn't see him. He squatted a little, just able to peek through the small glass window built into the door when-  
  
"Oomph!" He was smacked by the door as it swung open by Anya with two armfuls of groceries weighing her down.  
  
"Xander!" She cried when she saw him flat on his back with his hands both covering his forehead. She ran over him and set the groceries on the island before carefully leaning over to judge the damage done to her boyfriend. "What happened?"  
  
He shuffled to shut the door as quickly as he could. nearly shoving his girlfriend onto her bottom as he tried to get to the door in record speed before slamming it closed.  
  
Anya caught her balance quickly and right when the door slammed, she went off on him. "Xander Harris, what kind of way is that to treat me?!?" Her brow furrowed in anger and hurt.  
  
Xander never lost a beat and grabbed her shoulders trying to shove her down making it very possible once again that she would land on her behind. "That's it. We are never playing demon hunter again. Macho manly is one thing, this is becoming abusive. and you're not even in costume."  
  
For a brief moment, there was a sly grin on his face, before he remembered there was a possible bad guy outside. "Ahn, there's something out there. A clumsy something... with glass."  
  
Now her curiosity was piqued enough that she lowered herself into a squatting position next to him and they shimmied behind the counter hoping no one could see inside. "I heard it... loud, clumpy feet." Xander continued. "I think it was leaving. You must have just missed him. Did you see any glass? I heard him throwing something in glass."  
  
He watched her slowly rise back into a standing position. "I do not have loud clumpy feet!"  
  
Xander was now lost. "What?"  
  
"And the pickles were on sale. They are very useful for meals, sandwiches, even a quick snack." Anya continued to the door and swung it open before walking out to retrieve the other shopping bags she'd dropped outside before bringing the bags with other breakables in first. "I swear, I don't know why they would put them in glass containers these days." She said placing the bags on the counter next to the others. Then she headed to the broom closet and grabbed a broom and dust pan along with the spray attachment for the hose outside to spray off the brine.  
  
Xander had managed to stand and was now looking out the open door taking small steps forward until he reached the stairs. There, shining in the moonlight, were several shards of glass along with a good 20 of those monster sized pickles you could sometimes get for two dollars a piece when the Sunnydale Carnival opened in the summer.  
  
Anya brushed by him and began gathering as many of the large pieces of glass by hand as she could before attempting to sweep up the smaller bits floating in the pickle juice. She glanced up at him. "Well? Are you going to help? This is supposed to be one of those times you help. I'm sure I read it in Elle, or maybe it was one of Dawn's 17 Magazines." She thought about it for a minute. "I know it was one of those."  
  
Xander smiled a little at her, and held the dustpan in place while she accidentally splattered pickle juice on his shirt while sweeping. "So, what's with all the bags?"  
  
"Oh, that." Anya said dismissively and shrugged between sweeps. "I just figured, since they didn't seem to have much food around that Buffy and Dawn might, you know, get hungry someday. They'd need food. Seemed like the most reasonable way to spend Giles's money."  
  
He couldn't help it. He stood up and gave her a kiss right there. A lot of people didn't get it. Why he loved her. She was just so. exotic. At least that was when he thought. To his friends she was weird. This in a group that included demons and witches was something else.  
  
They missed this though. Sure she was spending someone else's money, but Giles would have done the same thing eventually. Buffy was still in mourning mode, and unfortunately anything past 'get up, take care of Dawn, hurt a lot, go to bed'. well she just hadn't thought much past those elements of life lately. Unless she was working on a big bad that she had to stop. But that had only happened once so far since Joyce's passing.  
  
Anya had a bright grin on her face when he sat back down on the step waiting for her to continue. She did and remembered something else. "I even bought those nachos, and the salsa. Extra hot so you can do that heavy breathing thing you enjoy so much after every bite."  
  
"That's my girl." He shook his head and smirked before walking the dustpan to the garbage can inside.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
The transport completed, and Commander Riker found himself standing on concrete. A fairly large expanse of concrete that formed a rough circle with 5 pillars scattered along its edges and one at the center and surrounded by tiny pebbles of several earthy tones that also made up paths leading out to the community.  
  
Beyond the space was a village. Log cabins of varying design and size had been constructed over the years. If he didn't know better he'd nearly guess he was in the frontier days of The United State's Ancient West. Past the small village was a great expanse of forest, and rolling hills full of life. It was a virtual paradise untouched but for the necessities.  
  
There was no horse and buggies, or any type of vehicular transportation that he could see. Just people, walking around with baggage, or with small children in hand. Some meandered from door to door. Others were, it seemed, waiting for them.  
  
The woman who'd spoken to them on the screen was nowhere in sight. Instead a man in his 40's with jet black hair and very simple cotton trousers and a light blue button up shirt stepped forward with a broad grin and a welcoming look in his eyes. "May the heart of Mandos protect you, and may the embrace of life forever surround you." He said as he walked towards the away party.  
  
William Riker faltered for just a moment before replying. "Thank you." He said trying not to question his words.  
  
The man merely nodded, before letting out a small chuckle. "I don't particularly like the formalities myself." He said and held out his hand for a more familiar greeting. "Name's Jacob."  
  
Riker happily took it and began introductions. "I'm commander Riker," He said then turned to the others who'd been requested for this mission. "This is Mr. Data, Doctor Crusher," the two nodded in order of introduction. "And Ensign Tau."  
  
The last to be introduced, a younger Asian male officer adorned in blue, was a last minute addition to the away team. He was there to get as many readings to try to explain the unusual activity of the planet as a whole. As soon as introductions were finished on their side he pulled out the tri- corder at his hip and waved it slightly before requesting permission. "May I?"  
  
"Of course Mr. Tau." Jacob easily acquiesced. "Although I doubt it will do you much good." The man said plainly. "I'll be guessing you scanned the planet hoping to find out why the old girl is on a rampage."  
  
Riker took note that once again, the planet was referred to as a living being. "All the information we have gathered showed no reason for any of the disturbances that we've observed."  
  
Jacob chuckled to himself, causing his shoulders to shake a bit. "Well, sometimes the science of life, doesn't really apply. And just like unusual miracles can take place, so can a little magic." He back peddled. "But I'm getting ahead of myself and Ellaina will have my head if I don't get you to her right quick."  
  
"Have your head, Sir?" Data asked simply.  
  
"And on a platter at that." The man agreed, not understanding the android's confusion.  
  
"I'll explain later." The doctor whispered in the golden eyed man's direction then addressed the colonist. "If you have any injured..." She let the sentence remain unfinished.  
  
At this the man seemed to be sizing her up. As though a doctor was the craziest idea he'd ever taken the time to consider. But he was never one to turn away the offer of help. "Over there." He pointed behind the group to a cabin that was longer then many of the others. It had decidedly more windows as well and instead of the usual one or 2 chimneys, it held five. "Constance is who you should ask for."  
  
Beverly thanked him, and headed in the direction of what must be the hospital for these people.  
  
Ensign Tau was still busy walking in circles as he followed the paths of several different oddities pointed out to him by the blipping instrument in his hand. Nothing substantial, but because he was still unsure of exactly what he would find, every avenue was to be explored.  
  
William and Data left the young officer to his duty as Jacob began leading them away past the dozen or so people who had gathered to see the visitors. "Ellaina is already with the others. They've been trying to read the problem, but it seems last evening's festivities caused a bit of a problem on many levels. We've been waiting nearly 30 years for the right time," He walked them past two cabins and turned off the path they'd been following now heading towards the expanse of trees that helped to shelter the village during terrible wind storms that could come from nowhere, but were weathered because of the sanctity of this area. "It seems that we may have been a bit rash about the whole thing."  
  
He led the two further, past several more homes and gardens, livestock and small crops. It was a self sufficient town. Although there were easily 70 residents in this area alone they seemed to satisfy their own needs fairly well. The people they passed looked healthy and quite content. A man could be seen sharpening an ax in front of his home, another woman sat with several children and explained the names of an assortment of plants, whilst another woman with her hair pulled back hung laundry on a line, saw the troupe pass and stopped to wave before gathering up another piece of clothing to be hung out.  
  
Soon the three were entering the forest on the outskirts and another path took form below their feet. "Best hush up from here on." Jacob said in a low voice. "Meditation you know."  
  
Riker glanced over at Data a moment. The android seemed quite enthused with what was going on, taking it all in as they continued. The trees grow high above, and the leaves shielded them from the bright sun causing a chill to run through the commander as they passed through the shadows provided.  
  
Although the colonists that had originally settled here were allowed to bring some of their own familiar animals and plants for food and normal life needs, the planet still had its own indigenous life, and although the trees growing around were quite similar to oaks and pine, some of the creatures were much different. The squirrel like animals scurrying about had no fur, and the skin they proudly bore was almost reptilian. While the four legged creatures were solid, heavy and also lacked fur. Riker found himself trying to decide if the quiet animals were more like bears, or moose, but with the complete absence of antlers he just couldn't decide.  
  
So enraptured with his observations was he, that he nearly missed Jacob's warning to stop. Among the foliage he saw a circle of 5 people holding hands while they sat and chanting quietly. All dressed in similar attire as the woman he's seen on the view-screen, but here several shades were represented; green, orange, red, blue, and purple. The woman in purple he recognized immediately as Ellaina.  
  
The three men kept back as the five people continued speaking in such a quiet voice that no one could understand them. No one but the android who had amazingly inhuman hearing. After all, he wasn't human. "Commander," He began in a hushed tone. "I believe they are speaking in a derivative of Latin, but no dialect I am familiar with."  
  
Jacob turned back to them and gave Mr. Data reprimanding look, as if he were a child before bringing his finger to his own lips in a "shh" motion.  
  
Data nodded curtly and they turned back to the scene a few meters away.  
  
The figure in orange let one of the hands go and dropped what looked like powder into a small pot sitting in the center of the circle. With their back to the newly arrived and Jacob, the person continued the chant and within seconds a smoke rose above the pot into the air. As it rose it expanded and went from a dismal gray to an enchanting yellow with sparkling glints of light beaming erratically.  
  
Then the person in orange stood and turned with his arms spread wide. His voice boomed over the others still mumbling the words they were supposed to. "To appease. To appease. To Quite. To still." The man said and spun back to those accompanying him in his journey, then crouched back down and scooped up another handful of the powder before depositing it into the pot.  
  
Data exchanged glances of curiosity and confusion with his commanding officer who looked just as surprised by the effects the smoke was putting out.  
  
All at once the shimmer grew and passed over the heads of the chanters in a swirl before heading straight up past the trees and out of sight too quickly to surmise its direction. All five of the figures looked up seemingly in wait. They stayed that way for exactly 10 minutes 27 seconds, according to Data's internal chronometer before any of them made a sound. "I'm afraid this does not bode well." The man in orange offered to the others in the circle.  
  
"This can not be righted. Not by us it seems." The woman in blue added.  
  
"We have been offered assistance." Ellaina stood and commented.  
  
"But we can't leave her like this. It's never been our way to cause such a thing, and run." Orange said while the others all stood gathering up small bags and pouches.  
  
The woman in green took up the pot and placed it gingerly in a plain green satchel obviously made for its care. "But if we are unable to reverse the effects, what are we to do then?"  
  
Jacob decided to make their presence known at this time. "Not going so well then?" he said as he walked towards the small group.  
  
Ellaina turned and took note of the strangers, realizing they had seen what she wanted them to, only the outcome was quite different then she was hoping for. "I'm afraid the spell provided no answers. Whatever is causing the imbalance is still unknown." She said shaking her head with some sadness.  
  
"A spell? Is that what that was?" The bearded commander asked. He'd been hearing that word a bit today, and at this point was beginning to think his captain was quite right in assuming the strange visitors and this colony's problems may be in connection.  
  
Ellaina nodded back to the other colorfully dressed people before heading in the direction of the curious onlookers. "Yes, it is why I wanted to show you. To explain it to those who do not believe. well... it can be quite trying."  
  
"I do not know of any combination of elements that would cause that particular reaction." Data said, still looking from the area previously settled by the five, to the sky where the fog had gone. "Tell me, what combination was used?"  
  
Ellaina, now standing with the three began walking up the path they had just arrived from. "What if I told you the elements, as you call them, are not purely physical?"  
  
"To what end?" He asked.  
  
She stopped a moment to ponder the best way to answer, but Jacob was happy to offer one up. "It's all of it. What you think, what you feel, who you are along with everything nature provides."  
  
"That's quite well put Jacob." Ellaina praised him and they continued towards the town. "You see Mr.-"  
  
"Data." He introduced himself and looked behind to Riker. "And he is Commander Riker."  
  
She nodded politely back to the commander for recognition but kept walking. "Well Mr. Data., We here believe you can not just take the physical into account for anything. On any level, all things come together to cause the reaction you saw. It is our will and the ingredients that help to give us an inner sight to the answer." She glanced back to see if they understood. By the looks on the faces of the two Enterprise officers, she was fairly sure they did not understand.  
  
With a small sigh, she stopped again and turned. "It's magic gentleman. Plain and simple." She looked back upwards, hoping to see the result of the spell come back and give her that answer. Instead she shook her head and looked back to the curious man in gold. "Unfortunately, it seems there isn't an answer."  
  
Riker looked back towards the small clearing the spell had been done in. "And the others that were with you?"  
  
She began walking again, and again they followed. "Priests and Priestesses of the villages that are scattered around the forest. That spot is the most spiritually cleansed in the area. Perfect for communing with the planet itself. But it seems even she doesn't know why she is so ill."  
  
Quietly, Data began to put a few clues together, but he was unsure if his assumptions were correct. "And that spell, the one you just cast, it was to tell you what is wrong?"  
  
"Not exactly my mechanical friend. It was to point out what is out of alignment. You see, last evening was the celebration of The Melding. We pay homage to that which we use on a daily basis and try to appreciate. From the water we drink to the air we breathe, even the very fabric of time and dimension. Unfortunately the rituals have upset something in the balance. Something that we can't see or feel or. possibly understand."  
  
"Could it be atmospheric?" Riker asked. "It seemed to head right into the sky. It would seem to be the most logical conclusion."  
  
"True." Jacob said as they ducked under a low hanging tree limb. "It's what I asked the first time they tried it, but seems that if that were the case, the casting would fill the sky with that yellow."  
  
"Correct Jacob. But at least this time it didn't just dissipate. There was a point to it." She sighed again, "We just don't know what it was yet."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Ensign Craigs held his post outside the quarters of their mysterious visitors. It had been quiet, with only the blonde girl coming out once, then going straight back inside. He wasn't sure what that had been about, but he wasn't there to ask questions. He was there to make sure they had what they needed and to escort them if need be.  
  
It wasn't the most exciting job, but it would do better then cleaning a bulkhead. Besides, he had some things to think about with a possible promotion coming up. He'd have to find some great way to woo the head of security. A daunting task if ever there was one.  
  
"'Ey mate." The voice came from behind him and the young man turned around to see the blond man standing by the open door. He seemed to be shining, or glittering. He wasn't sure how to describe the effects going on around the vampire. "Was just wondering," Spike continued as he tried to brush off the tiny bits of light clinging to his person. "Is this a normal thing around 'ere?"  
  
The security officer took a step back and peered in through the doorway to see the three females also covered with an illumination of golden light. On auto pilot, the man did what his training told him to. "Ensign Craigs to Security." Craigs began after tapping the insignia on his chest.  
  
"Security here." He heard Lt. Commander Worf's voice come over the communicator.  
  
"Sir, something-" He cut his words off and tried to find a way to explain what he was seeing.  
  
"This is mad strange." Buffy commented.  
  
Willow watched the twinkling on her fingertips. "It looks like a modified locator spell."  
  
Dawn was waving her hands around, watching the lingering light make funny designs, allot like sparklers on the Fourth of July. "I think it's cool."  
  
"Ensign Craigs. What is the problem?" The stern voice called out.  
  
"Sir," He began again. "I think you better come down here and see this for yourself." 


	7. Clues

** I've been taking a few days when I start a new chappy. I just wanna re read and try to improve. Typos, grammar, whatever. As long as the story gets across... I'm happy. I'm sorry this one is kinda short, especially after the wait but I really wasn't sure how I could go on to the next part without cutting in a bad place. Hope the movement of the plot makes up for it.  
  
***4 Angela am hoping for that scene myself, but if it doesn't fit, I won't add it. ***Harm Marie.. hmm.. it's a thought. ***bjred, already said it, but you know I love ya hun. My girl, partner in crime. ***dhachth : TY, keep reading please. ***vikki: Cool..I love attention :P  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Clues  
  
Beverly moved from small wood cot to small wood cot, taking note of each patient in turn. She had easily found Constance. The young blonde female had been in the middle of advising a man with a broken leg with instructions of how often to drink the tea easily made from an indigenous tree in the area. The Enterprise's chief of medical was soon put to work.  
  
Although the people living on the planet observed the rites of witchcraft stemmed from nature, the people did not turn away modern mechanisms. The conversation on Enterprise with Ellaina that involved a view-screen had told them that much. Along the windowed wall of the oversized log cabin was an example of another of the mixtures made between the modern and the ancient. Everyday medical instruments were built into the wall. Some items were neatly arranged on small wood trollies, others were held by more familiar means that the doctor recognized from her own holds of vaccines and modern potions widely accepted by the medical community she worked within.  
  
Natural light streamed in through the numerous windows along the walls that stretched far enough to easily hold 20 beds on each side. Above each window hung lamps, a light source that was used once the sun lowered, they jutted out and were adjustable by the looks of the metal frame that held each one. All bed frames were constructed from wood, and all the bedding was made here. Even the quilts that covered the feather filled mattresses were hand sewn.  
  
She also noticed that instead of the large displays used to keep readings in her own sickbay, most of the patients were unobserved. Only those with more immediate medical needs had their vitals scanned by oversized tri- corders. They were lying vertically and had some depth to them, but were built into wood stands that could be moved to whichever person needed it. Standard issue instruments, but having them as portable and held up by a stand was new. Quite a useful idea in fact, Beverly concluded, especially when this was the main medical facility for 5 different, but close nit, communities.  
  
When she first arrived and was put to work, her bedside manner came out quickly. Asking questions and deducing what the problem was with each individual along with taking readings, she soon found out that the injuries sustained to many of the patients were burns of different degrees. Thankfully, no one was killed, and it looked as though the worst one hurt was a Hispanic man about mid 30's. He was near the building when the lightning struck. A hold for grains and wheat that went up faster then anyone could have predicted it would. He would have some mild scarring on one side of his face, but he would live and suffer no ill effects.  
  
He, along with 17 of the 24 patients, were from a village just to the west of this one, a separate settlement, but one that worked closely with this one. As it appeared to Beverly, the colony was comprised of several different smaller colonies that all held the same basic beliefs, but ones that stemmed from different backgrounds. The cultural references and teachings were observed quietly and separately, but respected and shared as well. All five of the groups had been a party to the festival the night previous, none had been ready for the storm that followed.  
  
"Here doctor." Beverly sat on the edge of the burned man's bed. She turned her head towards the voice of the young man who held a container of a salve and a cup filled with a steaming substance. "For Pedro." The boy indicated the man on the bed, still muttering in his pained state.  
  
Beverly accepted the small ceramic bowl and took a delicate sniff. She thought she recognized the odor, and a vision of her grandmother came to her mind. The old woman was always making things from the plants and roots that grew near her home. She'd made a point to teach Beverly what she could. Now, this bitter odor mixed with a slightly flowery smell helped her recognize that this concoction would help with the pain directly in the would marring her current patient's cheek and neck and she began applying it.  
  
After that was done, she tried to hold the man in a sitting position so he could take some of the tea. That seemed to strain him and after a few swallows, he fell asleep in her arms. She let him fall back to the bed with little assistance.  
  
"The drink is quite potent." The young man still at her side provided. ''It will help him mend, and when he wakes he should feel very little pain, but he must drink this at least 4 times daily." The young man laid a handmade leather pouch down on the table beside the bed that also held a monitor. "Then after the tea is gone, it will be time for him to come see Constance again. Oh, and the salve," He continued as an after thought. "It needs to be used as needed so the burn does not harden as it heals."  
  
Beverly stood and nodded at him. "You sound like you are practicing." She looked back along the rows of beds. All had been seen to, and now mostly family were there to visit and help to care for their loved ones.  
  
"He is learning." Constance said as she appeared from behind one of the wood burning stoves now aflame with a new mixture simmering on its top. The chimney's provided an outlet for the 2 fireplaces at each end of the long building, while 3 separate stoves were spaced out, giving reason for the other 3 chimneys.  
  
"John has at least 2 more years of study, then, we will see." The blonde finished her statement and rubbed her hands on the gray apron that hung to her ankles protecting the long skirt and short sleeved top, both in a soft blue.  
  
"And how long have you been studying?" Dr. Crusher inquired with curiosity. The boy would be about the age of entrance to Starfleet academy.  
  
"Since I was 6." He smiled. "It's in the blood."  
  
"Yes cousin, and you are doing well." The settlement's most practiced doctor stood beside her cousin. There was a slight resemblance between the two, but Constance was clearly the elder. She glanced at the still slumbering man. "I see Pedro has been seen to." She walked beside his bed and lifted one lid to pear into his eye. "No damage other then the burns then?"  
  
"They are pretty bad." John said. "But he should be alright."  
  
The blonde healer straightened up and turned back to the visitor. "I do appreciate your help doctor. As you can see we are set up for multiple emergencies, but we rarely have this many beds filled at one time. And usually Ellaina is able to help."  
  
"Not at all. I don't often get to see the root's of medicine, excuse the bad pun." The doctor smiled.  
  
Constance smiled back then peered out the window. "Ah, it seems they have finished." She motioned towards a window now displaying the group emerging from behind a cabin across the square."  
  
Beverly took note that Ellaina had come back with the commander and Data. "Well, if you don't mind, I'd like to meet them in the square." The doctor explained.  
  
"Of course, and thank you again." The blonde woman said before going back to a patient.  
  
Beverly gave another short nod and smile to John then headed out of the building.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Magic?" Picard asked standing in the center of the main bridge trying not to sound surprised.  
  
"I might not have believed it either Sir, but the light show they put on, well, it's pretty believable." Riker commented when he saw the doctor walking towards them from the hospital.  
  
"Can you describe the phenomenon Number One?" Picard made the request, trying very hard to keep an open mind, although the events of the last few hours may have helped provide fuel for this task.  
  
Riker went on to tell exactly what he'd seen in as much detail as he could while Ellaina added some here and there to complete the story.  
  
At about this time, Worf stood at his post behind the command area and was receiving a communication from young Ensign Craigs. A boy with promise, but who's flighty nature and ability to turn simple evidence into a long and winding tail often caused the Security Chief more questions then answers. This would seem to be one of those times, but with a lack of a tale of any kind.  
  
"Very well." Worf said and nodded to another member of security to take his place before notifying the captain he had matters to attend to. He'd heard the commander's descriptions, and still thought it all tales for small children.  
  
The people below had done something to their own home, and now were putting on shows for amusement trying to convince the captain that an obscure practice most average people would find laughable was the cause.  
  
The oversized Klingon continued down corridors towards the guest quarters. He'd almost been happy to leave the bridge. He had a great respect for William Riker, and did not like hearing that even he may be swaying towards the possibility of a magical influence.  
  
Worf was not a scientist, and his people had belief systems rooted in tradition and ritual, but not magic. Things were substantial. Foes could be beaten, or tricked. They could not be made to magically disappear or hurt. These were physical actions, and beyond the belief that there was a stobalcore, a heaven, he did not believe in that which he could not find a reason to.  
  
It was this final thought that went through his head before punching in the code that opened the guest quarters. As he expected, Craigs was inside watching over the four in his care. As unexpected, the four in question were alight with a yellow glimmering fog that seemed to have taken hold of them all. They each glimmered with dots of lights glinting spiradicaly.  
  
His mind went right back to Riker's words form only moments before. "Translucent yellow. Fog, with random lights. Moved towards the sky. Points out the cause of the planet's problems."  
  
With thoughtful defeat, Worf tapped his communicator. "Security to Captain Picard," He began then continued with no enthusiasm, and a touch of sarcasm pulled off in a way only a klingon could. With a low growl in the back of his throat, "I have located Commander Riker's missing yellow fog."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Check this out." Dawn said and giggled while writing her name in the air. It lingered for just a moment before the heavily yellowed mist drew back towards her. She smiled brightly at the last bit of the 'n' drawing back into the fog until once again the air was clear before her. The teen giggled again and looked up to gage the vampire's reaction.  
  
Spike gave the girl a chuckle. The fact that she was smiling giving him enough reason to put away 'The Big Bad' for long enough to let the littlest Summers get what glee she could out of the situation. "S'fine Bit, but don't go making any of those little hearts with arrows. Too close to home."  
  
Dawn laughed outright at that, then with a mischeviouse grin began another piece of artwork in the space right in front of the black clad figure's chest.  
  
"It's a locater spell." Willow repeated. "I'm sure of it."  
  
"So maybe Tara and Giles-" Buffy began with a hopeful gleam in her eyes.  
  
Willow shook her head furiously. "It'd be impossible. This place isn't even mapped, and a finding spell like this. I don't think even Anya would know how to get past the barriers between demensions for it to be of use."  
  
They barely paid attention to Worf while he communicated with the captain, and was told to set the small screen on the desk for transmission.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Red was right then." Spike said a little shocked as he studied the home showing behind the woman on the small screen, more importantly, the window behind her.  
  
The four of them were now huddled together in front of the laptop talking to a woman who apparently lived in a log cabin. The bearded commander was standing beside her. Worf and Craigs stood on the other side of the desk looking on over the four as the transmission took place.  
  
At the first Glance, Ellaina was shocked to see what the spell had found, and after a few words the spell was broken and the glow faded from Buffy and her enterage. Soon, explanations for the glowing effect were given and the Sunnydale clan had a point in the right direction.  
  
Ellaina nodded. "Yes, we were searching." She seemed a little perplexed, but her confidence didn't waver. "I'm still unsure how you are connected, although the young commander has given us information on your unusual arrival." Her manner changed to one of curiosity. "Is it true, you were unaware you would appear upon the Enterprise?"  
  
"Really, no clue." Buffy said honestly before giving her sister a half smile and looking back at the video image of the older woman. "We were whipping up a spell, but this was certainly NOT what we had planned." She finished.  
  
"Really?" The priestess asked.  
  
Willow interrupted. "It was supposed to transport, interdementionally." The red head shook her head with some confusion. "But I still don't know how us coming here would have any effect on rites that are used to give thanks for life on your planet."  
  
"There is a bit more to it my dear." Ellaina provided. "But we can do nothing of it until you come here." She took pause before continuing. "Captain?" Ellaina said still looking at the screen.  
  
"Yes Priestess." The six of them heard his voice over the com as the woman's image remained.  
  
"I'd like to invite your guests to come to us. We may yet be able to still the planet before disaster. But I do not foresee a resolution before the window is closed, and I'm afraid that waiting until the next one is open would be too late."  
  
They could hear the captain sigh quietly. "You are saying whomever transports could very well be stranded."  
  
"Yes Captain Picard. But they will be provided for here. We do have a suitable place for guests set aside."  
  
"Hold on." Buffy interrupted. "Are you saying you want us to do that.. 'beam' thing to you. Then just be stuck forever?"  
  
"No my dear." Ellaina's attention went back to the blonde on her screen. "You will need to remain here until the 20 hours is up. After that you will easily be able to go back to the starship."  
  
"What are we supposed to be doing there? Play tiddlywinks?" Spike asked still looking at the dimming daylight shining into the home of the woman.  
  
Willow gave him a stern look. "They need to see why we might be connected. At the very least they are going to need to know what we did to get here, and figure out why our spell is interacting with theirs."  
  
"That's quite right, Willow was it?" Ellaina asked. Willow nodded, blushing slightly under the praise of this obviously practiced witch. "But that will only give us an idea. We will still need to discern the most reasonable way to , well for lack of a better word, fix it."  
  
"I have no objection to your request." They all heard the captain proclaim. "But it is not my decision." He seemed to be finished, but as an afterthought included a request of his own. "I do ask that some of my people are allowed to stay as well. After all, these people have come to the Enterprise and until their situation is resolved I feel it is our duty to ensure their safety."  
  
"Agreed." Ellaina answered quickly. Her attention once again went over the faces of the four young people looking back from her screen above the desk in her home. "What do you say? Are you willing to help us?"  
  
Willow pleaded with Buffy in one glance, her eyes screaming 'PLEASE!!' The idea of meeting this woman was just too much of an opportunity for her. Dawn had a similar look and was a bit twitchy which meant she was already excited by the prospect. Spike looked a little fearful, but Buffy wasn't as concerned with that as she was with the fact that this was the first clue as to a way home. If they were connected, surely they could have answers.  
  
The Slayer sighed heavily, her inner turmoil getting to her. "Alright. We'll go."  
  
The tenseness in the air thinned and Ellaina smiled. "We can meet you in the square." She declared just as she was about to end the communiqué."  
  
"Pet?" Spike addressed the high priestess before she could cut the transmission.  
  
Ellaina looked to the screen once more with a curious face. "Yes?"  
  
"Got one request of my own."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Giles lit the last candle in the Summers's family room. Each pillar was at the point of a familiar 5 pointed star formed by white sand like substance ground from the bones of a Meklan demon. Tara stood in the center still repeating her mantra while Anya and Xander stood near the stairs out of the way of the two performing the spell.  
  
The clear blue glass-like crystal in Tara's hands was nearly the size of a bowling ball, but its weight was barely there. As Tara continued with her words and Giles stood back to join the other non magical members of the Scoobies, it began to rise up from her upheld hands and a small glow could be seen at its core.  
  
The young Wiccan's words came louder and more quickly. She was taking gasps of air between phrases. Soon her shoulders shook and it was easy to see that the effort was draining her.  
  
"Giles, is she gonna-" Xander began but the watcher raised a hand in the air signaling that the boy should be quiet.  
  
It was then that Tara slumped to the ground, the large crystal following and landing just a few inches from her hands and she crouched down trying to keep herself from completely sprawling onto the ground. "Mas" was the last syllable she got out before falling completely to the ground.  
  
Giles rushed to her side and helped to rouse the blonde.  
  
"See. You interrupted." Anya blamed her boyfriend. "You aren't supposed to do that during a spell, or don't you remember the Olaf incident?"  
  
Xander gave his love the evil eye before crouching next to Giles and checking on Tara.  
  
Tara, for all her effort couldn't figure out what had happened. "Something is-is blocking me." She said while still catching her breath. "I couldn't reach past our dimension Giles." She shook her head and started to let the tears of fatigue and hopelessness fall.  
  
"Blocking?" Giles asked. "But who would be doing such a thing?"  
  
Anya came away from the stairs then and shrugged. "The place is probably just too new to be on the multidimensional compass's charts." She continued to the couch and tried to get comfy. She was quite aware that the group would want to stay here for the night, and quite frankly she was too tired to pretend to research for something she didn't think had an answer yet. Sleep was her new objective.  
  
At her words, Giles craned his neck to face his young assistant. "What was that?"  
  
Anya took a deep breath, a little perturbed. "Well, they made something of nothing. You can't find nothing. You have to wait for the nothing to be something to be found. And since it's a very new something from the nothing, it's still registering as nothing. You see?"  
  
"Hu?" It was Xander's turn to be confused, again.  
  
"Of course." Giles said and sat fully on the floor where Tara still was recovering. "Don't you see?" He asked the witch. "Until the boundaries have been set, we can't make any communication through a doorway. There is no where to construct it."  
  
"Oh." Xander said.  
  
"You understand the rules of dimensions now?" Giles asked sarcastically.  
  
"Well no." Xander started. "But I do know that you can't build a door into a frame if the frame isn't ready to go up." He smiled at his own deduction.  
  
"Ah yes, the wonders of construction once again invade the magical interludes of our life."  
  
"At least I get it."  
  
"S-so when can we try to find them?" Tara asked, now having regained her breath.  
  
All eyes went to Anya.  
  
The ex-demon contemplated the question for a few moments, seeming to study the coffee table before she smiled. "Taking into account that magic created it, and the time of year, also that it's the year of the Fah'Har," She paused again as she went over it again in her head. "I'd say by Thursday."  
  
"Well that's not so bad. Today is," He checked the clock on the fireplace mantel. "Well Wednesday now."  
  
Anya continued with a raised eyebrow. "June 25th, 2009."  
  
"Ah." Was Xander's only answer. 


End file.
